The Story of Sierra
by HamsterBall
Summary: My first fanfic... Sofia is just the daughter of a wealthy sugar merchant. But then she is kidnapped by a certain pirate, and her world is shattered...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**-- I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, or anything associated with the film, including the character Captain Jack Sparrow (much as I would like to). They belong to Disney. However, any other characters are my own creations.

**Author's Note**-- This is my first fanfic ever, so I would be very grateful for any feedback from this first chapter, whether good or bad. Thanks!

**Chapter 1**

Harriet pulls hard on the strings of my corset, cinching my waist in even further. I gasp in surprise at how tight it is- surely I am not expected to be able to breathe? However, my maid seems unconcerned at the problems she is causing me.

"We've got to have you looking your best tonight, Miss Sofia…" She says, while scrutinising me with a critical eye. "This party is an important one, for both you and your father…"

I suppress a sigh. I've never seen the point in parties, they just seem to be full of endless discussions- most of which I can hardly understand- between people I may have been introduced to, but do not really know and indeed, have no desire to. I do however enjoy the dancing- the swirl of colour from dresses, the rhythm of the steps, the way a person can get so caught up they almost forget who they are…

I am brought out of my thoughts sharply when I see Harriet staring at me, and I realise that she has just asked me a question. I try not to look too lost, which is hard because I don't have the slightest idea what she may just have said. Luckily, Harriet seems oblivious to my previous lack of attention.

"The dress, miss… I said it's lovely, isn't it?"

I look down at what she is holding in her arms and gasp, although this time, in amazement. The dress is beautiful- made from contrasting black and red silk, with delicate embroidery on the bodice. The red overskirt is gathered so it falls to about my knees, and the black underskirt continues down to the ground, finished with a red trim. All in all, it is the most wonderful dress I have ever seen.

"It's been specially made, for tonight", continues Harriet, "It's to emphasize your hair colour, or so I've been informed…"

She eyes my raven hair, which at the moment flows free and long, having yet to be styled.

"Well, I suppose we should see what the dress looks like on, don't you, Harriet?" I smile at the maid.

"And I hope that you have an idea for how I should have my hair…"

Returning the smile, Harriet walks over towards me, to help me into the dress.

I take one last look in the mirror on my dressing table before I join the party downstairs. Even I think the dress looks amazing- it is flawlessly tailored to my measurements. I turn my head to one side, to better admire the gentle curls Harriet has put my hair into and to make sure the rose-shaped clip fastening one side of my hair back has not slipped. Satisfied that this is in no danger of occurring, I turn towards the door, but something catches my eye from my bedside table.

_My locket!_ I realise. I can't believe I almost left without it.

Whatever jewellery my father gives to me, this locket always has pride of place around my neck. I don't understand why, but on rare occasions where I have forgotten it, I always feel lost and vulnerable, almost… naked- this would especially not be a good state to be in tonight, of all nights. I may have no idea where I got this locket, and neither, it appears, does my father, but I still feel a special bond to it- strange, as it is after all only a piece of jewellery.

I hurry over to the table and snatch up the locket, before walking smartly out the door, fastening it around my neck as I go. The gold of the chain and the main element of the locket may not create the best contrast with the silver earrings I am wearing, nor the silver rose in my hair, but that will have to be excused. For now, I have a party to attend.

As I see yet another young man walking towards me through the crowds, I have to stifle a yawn. This must be the… tenth… this evening of the hopefuls wanting to impress my father enough to allow them the honour of my hand in marriage, and, of course, impress me- but this only as a secondary objective.

However, as he nears I manage to force yet another smile- which are looking less and less welcoming by the hour, I expect, but I am starting not to care. I see my father step forwards to speak with the man, before escorting him the final few paces towards me so that we can be introduced formally.

"Sofia, may I introduce John Almsworth… Mr Almsworth, this is my daughter, Sofia." My father looks excited at this next prospective husband, and I wonder what status this man has in society. I am sure I will find out soon enough.

"Miss Chalmes, it is a pleasure." Mr Almsworth bows graciously before kissing my hand. I pretend to look flattered but actually am more disturbed, mostly by the way his eyes seem so lifeless, completely devoid of any emotions. However, I still take a few moments to properly assess the man before me.

He is more than a head taller than me- and I do not usually consider myself short-, so I feel slightly dwarfed in his presence. His blonde hair has been impeccably combed back, and is fastened with a small bow at the nape of his neck. The clothes he is wearing suggest a profession with the Navy- a captain perhaps? I will have to check my suspicions later, for I have never been the best at remembering all the ranks and positions there are in the Royal Navy.

I suppose he may be what some ladies would consider handsome, although I myself have never really seen the attraction in the pale and blonde type- I much prefer those closer to my own darker hair colour and skin tone- that which is so different to my father's, whose skin is prone to burning rather than browning under the Caribbean sun. I suppose I must take after my long-dead mother, as my father always tells me.

As though he has heard himself mentioned in my thoughts, my father appears next to us.

"Mr Almsworth, would you like a glass of wine? My taster here has assured me, it is of the finest quality…"

He gestures behind him at the man standing there.

_Interesting…_I think to myself. I was not aware that my father had acquired a new taster after his old faithful had mysteriously disappeared a few weeks ago. Although, I suppose he would have had to, for this party… I subtly shift my position so I can get a better view of this man…

…And cannot help but stare. The man's appearance is most… unusual. His skin is brown- the type of complexion you only get from long days under the sun. The new and stiff clothing he is wearing seems to hang strangely on his body, as though it was made for someone of a different size and shape to him. Under these garments, you can tell that his body is lean and wiry- used to hard labour, I think. His face, with its high cheekbones and chocolate brown eyes, is handsome and welcoming, with a small beard and moustache that only add to his charm.

But it is this wine-taster's hair that I find the most remarkable. It hangs to below his shoulders, with some parts in thick braids and others in plaits, and with a whole assortment of trinkets and pieces of jewellery woven in, so that whenever he moves his head, a slight tinkling sound can be heard. In a slight attempt to look more- what word should I use? Normal?- he has tied this hair back in a thick ponytail, but it barely makes any difference. I can see he is being given strange glances from everywhere in the hall, although he himself seems oblivious to them- it may just be an act he is putting on to appear more confident than he actually is, but I doubt it. Anyone who has such a distinctive appearance would have to be very self-assured.

_My father must really have been desperate to hire this one…_I muse. _But if he knows his wines, I suppose that's got to count for a lot…_

Even so, I know that a man so desperate to stay in favour of the social circles such as my father will be thinking about what being associated with such an obviously dubious character will do to his reputation, which was after all the aim of the gathering tonight, along with finding me a husband. For my father has very ambitious aims, not wanting to stay simply a sugar merchant on Montserrat for the rest of his life- albeit a very rich and well-known sugar merchant. I am under no pretence that this marriage that he is trying to arrange for me tonight is to help him towards that goal, by giving him connections- although I'm sure he would also like to see me happy. That is why this party is so important- he needs to choose the best candidate for his son-in-law, one that will help him gain the recognition he craves.

The taster steps forwards, armed with a tray carrying several wine glasses, and offers one to first Mr Almsworth, then my father and finally me. Mr Almsworth takes his without breaking from a conversation with my father, not even acknowledging the presence of the servant. The tray might as well have been floating by itself, for all he cared, instead of being held by this very interesting-looking man. My father at least notices the man is alive, thanking him with a curt nod- although I see him glancing at the man's hair with a slightly worried expression. When it is my turn, however, I am unsure of where to look, not wanting to appear rude by staring, but not really wanting to take my eyes off the fascinating hair. Instead I decide to focus on the wine glass, but as I look up to thank the man, I meet his eyes… and find I am lost for words- not even capable of a simple 'thank-you'.

The man smiles roguishly, exposing several glinting teeth, before winking at me and walking off, leaving me standing with my mouth open like a goldfish- not the most attractive expression. When I realise how ridiculous this must appear, I quickly compose myself and look round to find Mr Almsworth and my father, although first I check that the taster is nowhere in sight- I cannot have him standing around putting strange thoughts and feelings into my head, especially when I should have my mind focused on trying to appear as charming as possible to any future husband.

Luckily, the taster is on the other side of the room, and so I quietly slip back to beside my father to try and participate in the conversation he is having. This, ironically, is about the very man I am trying to avoid.

"…I can't fault his choice of wine- this is excellent", says Almsworth, holding up his glass, "but his appearance is somewhat… unusual…"

_So he _did _notice the man's existence then…_I think to myself, before tuning back onto the conversation to hear what my father has to say in reply.

"That can't be helped, I'm afraid. I was in desperate need of a wine taster, for tonight, and I just stumbled on him- quite literally I must admit. He was outside our estate, said he was admiring the view… I started to ask him to move along, but he wouldn't budge, and instead said that he had heard I was in need of the service of a man like him… I've no idea how he found out William has gone missing, but as I'm sure you know, servants are prone to gossip…" My father seems happy to relate this story to this other man; whereas I previously had no idea that he had even hired another wine taster. Still, it was interesting to hear how the newest of father's servants had come to work here.

"Hmm…" Mr Almsworth seems to be lost in thought momentarily, staring after the taster. "I suppose he came well recommended?"

"Of course! He had several papers from previous employers commending his services to them. I would not have hired any old drunkard!" My father seems disgusted at even the thought of it.

"And yet, he has a most curious walk… Are you sure he has not drunk more of the wine than was healthy for him?" Almsworth smiles at his own joke.

My father laughs nervously in reply. It seems that, instead of the hopeful husband impressing my father, it is the other way around… Almsworth must have powerful standing.

"No… he said he had most recently been spending time working on ships, and had got used to the swell of the sea- being on land was curious to him."

"A man of the sea?" Almsworth appears interested by this statement. "I wonder… what did you say his name was, again?"

"Now… I can't quite recall… Ah! That was it, I think- James Cane. Yes, that would be right… Why so interested?" My father inquires.

Mr Almsworth waves his hand dismissively.

"No particular reason, I just thought I had seen him somewhere before… Perhaps at another party, I suppose. Anyway- Miss Sofia, I sincerely hope we are not boring you?"

This sudden change in conversation has me taken aback momentarily, but I quickly think of something to reply with.

"Not at all. It is, in fact, rather interesting I think."

Almsworth smiles at this.

"Such good manners- your father has clearly brought you up well. Would you care to dance, Miss Sofia?" He drains his glass of wine, before putting the empty vessel on a nearby tray held by a servant.

"I would be delighted." I reply, glad that my lessons in the correct manner to conduct oneself had covered how to hide your true feelings. I would have really liked anything else but to dance with this man, but seeing my father looking so hopeful, I could not refuse. Taking a final sip of my wine, I too set down my glass and take his extended hand.

Almsworth leads me over towards the dance floor. The previous dance has just finished, and as we find a space between the other couples the orchestra starts to play a lively waltz. Recognising the music to one of my favourite dances I perk up a little, even managing to engage in some small talk with Almsworth, and soon we are twirling around with everyone else.

However, as we continue, something seems wrong. The music starts to sound discordant, jarring through me whereas before it flowed along so smoothly. The beautiful colours of dresses swirling around me seem to change, until they are a confusing jumble of clashing colours which I am stuck in the middle of, unable to escape from. I also start to notice strange details standing out above the mess the rest of the room has turned into- someone's face which seems to leer at me, the pattern of a certain tile on the floor, Almsworth's cold eyes staring, the butterfly clip pinned into a woman's hair, and at one point, a golden smile flashing from a dark-skinned face.

I am forced to stop dancing, although the rest of the room continues to spin around me. Quite literally, as it seems- it feels as though I am going to faint. Mr Almsworth looks down at me, and for a second I'm sure I see a flash of emotion in those dead eyes- although it looked like annoyance more than anything. He opens his mouth, and I see him start to talk earnestly to me, but the words reach me reluctantly as though they are swimming through water.

"_Miss… Sofia…are you unwell…?"_

I cannot answer. I push through the crowds heading for the gardens and some cooler air, and curiously see other men and women doing the same. Their faces are pale and sweating, their eyes glazed. I can only imagine I look in a similar state.

Then one of them collapses. I see someone hurrying over to the body lying on the ground, but it seems to be happening in slow motion- my mind is unable to process the events around me. I manage to stagger outside and lean against the balcony for support, glancing back inside where it seems complete chaos has erupted. People are dropping all over the place, with others looking in a similar state to me. Some are trying to help those stricken, but soon are succumbing to the same problems. Soon, it seems as though everyone here has been affected.

_What is going on here!_ I manage to think to myself. I attempt to walk back inside, perhaps to find my father, but then I feel my knees give way and I fall to the ground. Unable to move, I give one more glance to the disarray inside before slowly collapsing back against the balcony railings. Then my world goes black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note--** Thank you to all those who have read and reviewed! Replies at the bottom of the page... If I can get it to work! Lol.

**Chapter 2**

Gradually, I become aware of my surroundings again. Firstly, sound comes back to me, although they are not sounds I am used to waking up to- the cry of a lone seagull, the creak of wood, and the voices of many people that I don't recognise, from somewhere above me. I also start to notice the much more subtle sound of waves, and accompanying this, a rocking which I vaguely remember from my childhood when my father and I made the crossing from England to Montserrat.

Opening my eyes, I am for a moment disorientated, thinking that I have somehow lost my sight. However, glancing around I see a small sliver of light and I realise that I am in a room with no windows, the only light coming from under the door.

Whatever is serving as my bed is hard, and the thin sheet that was covering me is coarse, scratching my skin- nothing like the cotton bed linen I am used to at home.

_Which is where I definitely am not_, I decide.

I attempt to stand up, swinging my legs off the bed, but as my feet touch the rough wooden planking that I feel is the floor I am suddenly gripped by a pounding headache which makes me feel sick and shaky, and I am forced to lie back down again. Soon I am dozing, feeling exhausted as though I have just run ten miles instead of having just woken up.

However, after a while- although I do not know how much time actually has elapsed- I feel better. Experimentally, I lift my head up to see if the headache returns, which thankfully it doesn't. Slowly I stand up and although my head hurts a little, it is nothing like the pounding of before. Allowing myself a small smile, I head towards the door to try to work out where on Earth I am, and why I am here. Remembering the events of the night before I wonder if it is something to do with them, and if Almsworth is involved in some way- I do not trust the man, although I have only known him for a short time. I push several unpleasant thoughts out of my head, although something still feels wrong. Instinctively, I reach up to touch my locket to reassure myself, but find nothing there.

Panicking, I wonder where I might have lost it. Double-checking that it is definitely not around my neck, and once again finding nothing, I can only assume that I have either dropped it somewhere, or whoever put me here has it- perhaps I have been robbed? Checking my ears, though, I find I still have my earrings in, and the silver rose is still in my hair, so this is improbable.

_No, someone_ must _have taken it... I would never lose such a precious thing! _I decide, which only serves to make me boil with anger. Opening the door, I storm out into the plain corridor, to try and find someone to tell me what is going on.

I do not have to search for long. Ahead of me, I see a middle-aged and slightly portly man just coming out of a door, looking round furtively. When he sees me, however, he freezes, as though he has never seen a woman before which somehow I think is highly unlikely- he has the look of a pirate about him.

"Excuse me! Sir!"

I start to hurry towards him, hoping he will be able to tell me where I am and how I got here. Much to my dismay, the man seems panicked by my appearance, hastily shutting and locking the door behind him- although not before I get a glimpse of several barrels strapped to the low ceiling, and what looks like a wine rack. Then he scuttles off down the narrow corridor and up a flight of wooden stairs at the end, leaving me to desperately chase along behind him, as if this were some wild dream.

Staggering up the last few steps- the ground underneath my feet seems to be rocking most disconcertedly- I pause, seeing that the man has disappeared, probably up the next flight of stairs at the top of which I can see a small square of blue sky. However, the room I am in distracts me, and makes me finally realise where I am, shaking the last of the grogginess of sleep away.

_How could I have been so stupid not to have recognised the inside of a ship!_

I look round at the guns strapped along either side of the deck, and the hammocks rolled safely away and tied to the once-again low ceiling. To my credit, I had only been on a ship once, nigh on eleven years ago, and even then I had stayed mostly to my room. However, the distinctive rocking motion could hardly be found anywhere else apart from the middle of the ocean…

A feeling of dread overcomes me. Where is this ship? Where is it bound to? How far am I from my father, my home, from everything I know and love?

Steeling myself, I walk slowly up the last flight of stairs onto the main deck. The bright Caribbean sun blinds me momentarily after the darkness of below deck, but I soon recover and look round at the scene unfolding before me.

Men are everywhere. Scuttling up ropes running from the side of the ship to the mast- which if my memory served correctly, were called ratlines-, coiling ropes, mending the black sails, dragging large Bible-sized stones across the deck, and doing numerous other jobs that I could not even begin to describe but are no doubt the everyday chores on board a ship.

I notice that the men wear no regulation uniform. This is no Navy ship, further confirmed by the black sails and black wood, as I have never seen a Navy ship of this colour. So what profession does this crew follow? Are they honest traders, or- and I fear this may be the correct answer- pirates?

I spot the man I was following under one of the masts, taking a swig from a small flask and staring at me again. He sees me looking, however, and once again commences his running, although this time only for a short distance, stopping at a black door under the helm. He begins hammering on it, shouting "Jack! JACK!" This, I assume, would be the captain's quarters.

The door opens, and the man starts babbling, apparently to the Captain, pointing behind him at me. From where I am standing, I cannot see who he is talking to, as the Captain's face is hidden in a shadow and so I walk slowly up towards the cabin, catching the end of what the man is saying.

"…'Tis bad luck to have a woman aboard, Jack… Frightful bad luck, even…"

The other man replies with a slightly slurred accent- surely he has not been drinking, if he is indeed the Captain?

"Ah, Mr Gibbs, you have met Sierra then? What gave you cause to be down there?"

The grey-haired man- Mr Gibbs- shuffles from foot to foot, apparently uncomfortable at this question, while I wonder who Sierra is- he can't be referring to me, can he? If he is, he hasn't even learnt the name of his captive properly…

"I was… checking the rum stocks, Captain… can't have those running low now, can we?"

The captain seems satisfied with this answer, although I am sure he knows that Mr. Gibbs wasn't just 'checking' the rum stocks…

"Indeed we can't, Mr Gibbs… And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a young lady to deal with…"

The captain steps past Gibbs, out into the sunlight. Looking at him properly now, I get an odd sense of déjà vu.

_Where have I seen this man before?_ It was very recently, I'm sure of that, but…

The Captain smiles at me, and I catch a glint from some of his teeth- gold-plated, adding to the look of a pirate that he has about him. And then, from this smile, I remember- this man is the wine taster from my father's party! I am slightly surprised I didn't recognise him, but then again, his appearance has changed somewhat from last night.

No longer dressed in the stiff and ill-fitting clothes, he now looks a lot more comfortable, wearing a loose shirt and pair of breeches, a blue-grey vest over the shirt, and a pair of well-worn brown boots. Around his waist is tied a long sash, wrapped around several times yet still falling to almost the ground, and several belts have been buckled over this. His now-loose hair, which looks even more fantastic as it is left to run riot, has a thick bandanna tied around- which has a similar trinket to those adorning his hair attached. Finally, an old but well-loved looking hat is perched at a jaunty angle atop of his head.

However, what I find the simplest yet most dramatic change is his eyes. They have been outlined in heavy black kohl, making them stand out and look even darker, and they are alive- full of wicked glints and unfathomable depths- almost like the sea itself despite the fact they are a rich brown. They were never like this last night, on land…

For the second time in this man's presence, I am completely lost for words for a moment, staring at him as he stands before me. Luckily he doesn't seem to notice my curious eye, and instead makes a sweeping gesture behind him towards his cabin.

"Sier…Sofia, if you'd please… Join me in my cabin. We can sit, have a talk and…"

He pauses, eyes falling downward, and following his gaze I see a long tear up the side of my dress- still the same one that I had on last night, but now slightly less amazing and a looking a little more worse for wear-, through which my lower leg and a bit of my thigh are poking out. Hastily I try to hide my leg by gathering my dress a little, and this seems to encourage the man to carry on, breaking him out of his thoughts- no doubt disreputable.

"After you, darlin'."

Once again he gestures to his door, and I start to walk towards it, fuming slightly at being referred to so casually as 'darlin'' and wanting to refuse, to give this man a piece of my mind, but it seems my tongue is still being elusive. Also, I am not sure that I want to make a scene in front of the entire crew- I am getting enough looks as it is.

As this last thought goes through my head, I almost laugh- how the tables have turned since last night, when I was simply a woman in the crowd, the same as all the others, and this 'wine- taster' stuck out like a sore thumb. Now it is quite the opposite…

Wordlessly, the Captain turns with a jingle from his many accessories and follows me into the cabin, shutting the door behind him and blocking out Mr. Gibbs and any other nosy crewmembers.

8888888888

**MrsSparrow**-- Yep, got it in one! Lol. I thought, with his ample knowledge of alcohol, he'd be perfect for the job (although his speciality is rum, I guess!). Hehehe.

**Twadrummer**-- Thank you! Is this update soon enough? Lol. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next chapter- it's pretty much finished, but I want to get a bit of Chapter 4 done before I post it up so there won't be such a big gap between updates!

**Wolf.at.Heart**-- That's good then! I always worry about my spelling, grammar etc... I seem to love using the comma! Lol.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As soon as that door is shut, sealing us into privacy, I turn around, finding my tongue again in the process, and let my anger out on this man.

"Who do you think you are! What in God's name gave you permission to swan into my father's home, masquerading as some wine taster, and then kidnap his daughter! When he finds out what you've done he'll be furious, and sooner than you think you'll be dangling by your neck!"

Not the prettiest image to conjure up, but even so the Captain seems unperturbed- I even think I see the hint of a smile playing around his lips as he crosses his arms and leans back on to one leg, simply watching me. This manages to enrage me even more, yet unsettle me at the same time.

"Who are you?" I manage to finish, rather inadequately.

For a minute, I think he is just going to continue standing there, but instead he opens his mouth and starts to talk in that slurring voice he has.

"You know, I'm very glad you asked- we can't very well have you not knowing who you're addressing. So in accordance to that, allow me to introduce myself as Captain Jack Sparrow."

He tilts forwards slightly and then rocks back, as though he is either not completely in control of his upper body or has spent so long on the waves that he has started to mimic them. Having made this little statement, he looks rather pleased with himself and once again looks at me with a crooked half-smile.

I struggle to maintain my composure.

"That tells me nothing, Mr. Sparrow, it is simply a name. Nothing of your profession, apart from you are a Captain- a captain of what? A merchant vessel, or something else? Nothing of your breeding, your status… The list could go on. And you can hardly say 'we' can't have me not knowing your name when you seem to be ignorant of mine, which is in fact Sofia, not 'Sierra' or whatever you called me several times."

Narrowing his black eyes, Sparrow seems to take this all in for several moments. Then suddenly he turns and sways over to a large round table in the middle of the room, where he searches around in the numerous maps and other papers for a while until he finds a brown bottle containing some type of liquid. Uncorking it he moves to take a swig, but pauses as he sees me staring, waiting for some sort of answer.

"But isn't that the point of a name? You think they tell you everything while in fact they tell you nothing. And as for breeding and status, they only lead to unhappiness- I've discovered that you can be much better off without."

I am slightly surprised at this reply- I was imagining something much less… intelligent… from a man who seems to be slightly more than half-drunk. I open my mouth to form some sort of reply, but Sparrow carries on.

"Although, sometimes names can tell you a lot, I suppose… In your case it's true… So maybe I should be taking back my last statement…"

He tails off, staring seemingly at the endless ocean outside the windows at the back of his cabin, leaving me completely confused. Amazing, how it can be done in such a short space of time…

_Perhaps_ I _should be taking back my last statement about the intelligent comment…_ I think to myself.

For a few moments we stand in a slightly awkward silence, with Captain Sparrow seemingly oblivious to the world around him, and I not entirely sure what to make of the man, and therefore not sure what to say as I have no idea what mood it may put him in, or whether the reply will be gibberish or otherwise.

However, once again he continues.

"As for my profession, I think you already have a clear idea of what it is, but I will just put it into words to clarify a little. I am what may commonly be known as a weasel, a scallywag, a ne'er do well… A pirate, in short. I sail the seas plundering and hoarding, leaving death and destruction in my wake. I am despised for these crimes and am considered a great prize if caught, when I will quickly meet my end.

"Or at least, that's what you're told. But…" Jack Sparrow walks back towards me now, "Have you stopped to consider that these may be stories told to frighten the children? Have you ever considered the real life of a pirate? Because like it or not, luv, you're about to find out the truth to these matters." He smiles wickedly, exposing the glinting teeth again. "You're aboard my ship now."

Then he wheels away, breaking the tension that was electrifying the air, and picks his bottle up again, this time taking a swig.

"As to why you're here, you'll just have to trust me, I'm afraid. I promise, all will become apparent sooner than you think."

I almost laugh- all this speak of trust and promises from a _pirate_? I cannot believe it.

"Mr Sparrow…"

"_Captain_ Sparrow, if you'd please. Drop the Mr; I much prefer the title of Captain."

"Why? Does it help you to feel in control of your crew of pirates who at any stage may sneak in here and cut your throat, and claim the ship for themselves?" I quip.

Sparrow winces.

"There you go, luv… Assuming all us pirates are as bad as we're made out to be…"

"Prove me wrong!" I much prefer to trust numerous stories my father has told me of pirates than the word of this one man, himself a pirate.

"For a start, my crew are much better than you give them credit… And you haven't even met them…"

We are interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Drawls Sparrow, and Mr. Gibbs pokes his head around the door, casting a slightly nervous glance at me before continuing with what he entered for- seemingly, to give a report.

"Captain, we're still on course for Isla Del Espejos. No change there. But there's been a ship sighted in the distance- thought you might want to take a look?"

Jack Sparrow rises in one easy movement and crosses over to the door, where he follows Gibbs out, leaving me inside his cabin. The door starts to be closed behind them, but it seems to pause for a second. Then the Captain's head appears back round it.

"Sofia- see, no name mistake there- this won't take long. Why don't you just stay here, alright? And try not to do anything… stupid. I doubt it will be hard for you though. You seem like a sensible enough lass…" He throws me another wink, then fully shuts the door behind him. However, I hear shouted from outside;

"And don't touch my rum!"

_As if I would ever have need of such a vile drink_, I think to myself.

Although I am somewhat annoyed at being so carelessly shut in here and the fact that I have still not been given a clear explanation as to why Sparrow wants me, curiosity overrides this emotion as I look around the cabin. I move over to the large table to examine the numerous charts and other bits and pieces to try and work out where we might be going, but to no avail- I have never been taught how to navigate with maps and there is no clear route marked on them. The compass which I discover underneath a pile of sea charts does not help to tell me which direction we are sailing in, either, as the needle just swings wildly back and forth, pointing in no particular direction- it is broken, obviously.

_What a fine sailor Sparrow must be, if his navigation compass is broken._ This thought doesn't fill me with confidence.

I stretch to move yet another pile of papers, more out of curiosity than anything, but in doing so nudge the bottle of rum which was, until now, sitting so precariously on the edge of the table. It falls onto the deck with a crash, the glass bottle shattering.

Uttering a most uncouth curse, I stop rustling the papers on the table around to see if I can sort the mess out. However I quickly see that it would be easier said than done- the rum is spreading out slowly in a golden pool, and shattered remnants of the bottle are everywhere. I have to be careful not to cut my fingers.

Standing back up, I sigh. This surely won't be the best way to stay on the good side of my host, I can be sure of that…

Something glints on the table from where there was, previously, the bottle of rum. It catches my eye and, frowning slightly, I bend to examine what it is.

Set into the table at the very edge is a tiny knob of brass, which could just look as though someone had accidentally dropped a bit of metal onto the table. At first I wonder why it is there, but quickly I realise that there is a crack all the way round it, forming a small square with one of the sides of the table. I try pushing on the knob, to see if it comes loose and my suspicions are confirmed when it flips up, forming a handle. Pulling it up does not work, but gently pulling it in the direction of the edge of the table does- a chunk of the table slides out uncovers a tiny chamber which has been crudely hewn out of the thick wood of the table. Inside sits an object that I had momentarily forgotten about, but was the original reason for me exiting my room below decks.

However, the locket is never like I have seen it before- the stiff catch has been opened (the one which I have tried many a time to open, but never succeeded), revealing the inside. I peer at it, curious as to what my most special accessory contains.

On one side, there is a small and but detailed painting of a man. Handsome, he has short black hair and a small neat beard which surrounds a mouth quirked up in a smile- a smile which is also reflected in his eyes. His shoulders seem to be covered in rich coloured material, suggesting whatever he was wearing was expensive. Behind him, there is a view of the sea with a ship on the horizon.

It is strange- somehow I recognise this man, although I am almost certain I have never even met him before. However, deep inside me somewhere something seems to twist, stirring up unwanted feelings of sadness and loneliness. Shaking my head, I try to rid myself of these strange feelings, and attempt to distract myself with what is in the other half of the locket. This plan works, as I am completely at a loss to what I am looking at so try to figure out what on Earth it is.

The substance looks like some type of rock- although it is like no rock I have ever seen before. The surface is shiny and smooth, and seems to be made from ripples of colour and light which change direction and shape even under the dim light. Looking into this amazing iridescence, I am surprised to see my own face staring back, as I would not have thought this could have acted as a mirror. Looking again, however, I notice there are some differences to my appearance compared to what it would be like in a normal mirror- the colours are more vibrant and seem to shimmer, dancing around as though they are liquid so my face seems to subtly change colour, and also my features seem to be sharper, more defined in this 'mirror'.

_This is certainly better than anything I have at home to look at my reflection in…_

So intent on studying my locket, I do not notice the door opening again until it is too late.

Captain Sparrow re-enters, shouting orders over his shoulder to the crew outside.

"Gibbs, just make sure we keep a steady course… No need to worry about Mr. Serpiente catching up with us at this present time!"

Then he turns round to face me, taking in the scene of his papers spread in an even bigger disarray across the table, the smashed rum bottle, and me standing by the table, locket in hand. He pulls a slightly worried face.

"Ah…"

"Ah indeed, Captain Sparrow. Would you care to explain why you have stolen my locket from me? And perhaps you would also like to finally tell me why I am here in the first place?"

Widening his eyes, Sparrow tries to stall for time.

"Now, there's a very good reason for all of this, Sofia…"

I choose to ignore the way he so carelessly left any sort of title off my name.

"Good, I'd love to hear it. The quicker this is over with, the quicker we can sort out my return to land." I sit down in his chair, making myself comfortable.

"So soon? You have no idea of the trouble I had to go through to rescue you."

"Such as what? Take a bath, perhaps?" I glance at his grubby hands and clothing.

Jack manages to look a little upset.

"Now that wasn't fair, luv… Why is it that people always seem to make comments about my personal hygiene?"

"Because it's disgusting!" I retort.

Now Jack looks even more hurt- if it weren't for the wicked twinkle in his eye, I would have said the emotion was real.

"Anyway, I've just about had enough of you skipping around my questions. So if you'd please, answer them now or I swear, I will ram this locket down your throat." I say, crossing my arms over my chest. Even Jack seems to realise there will be no more playing games. Sighing, he strolls over and perches on the edge of the table, carefully stepping over pieces of glass scattered all over the floor to do so.

"All right, but I promise you that you're not going to like it…"

888888

**twadrummer**-- Kidnapped! I know! It's a terrible fate... And as to being referred to as 'Sierra'... Well, I promise it will all be revealed in the next chapter!

**Shatteredbleedingbroken Heart**-- I'm glad it's believeable- I always think that's a good trait for a story to have! Glad you like it!

**Wolf.At.Heart**-- Nope, both guesses on the Sierra front wrong! You'll just have to wait until the next chapter! Lol.

**Lady Kiara Skywalker-- **Thankyou, thankyou! Next chapter will be along soon!

**Crazy-obsessed-jacksparrow-fan**-- Thanks very much! I love to know that this story is liked so much! How's this chapter for you?

**POTC4Ever**-- Ermm... What was that? Lol. Not sure about the girl being pissed part... Ah well!

**Chocolat Pirate**-- Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note-** Right, this should help to explain some of the little mysteries going on. I hope it makes sense! Enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

Jack pauses for a few minutes, seemingly trying to get his story straight and decide how best to start- in the end he opts for a straight plunge in with the most dramatic news.

"Your name is not Sofia Chalmes, daughter of the sugar merchant Robert Chalmes"

I snort- in a rather unladylike manner- at this ridiculous sentence.

"No? Mr Sparrow, I think I know who I am… Perhaps you believe I am… confused?"

"Not confused, luv. Merely…" He waves his hand in the air, while seemingly searching for the right word "…deceived…"

I narrow my eyes at him, convinced he must be weaving some elaborate lie.

"Do continue, Sparrow…"

"_Captain_ Sparrow, luv. Very important that. The most catastrophic results have stemmed from the most insignificant of mistakes… Why, I once knew of a…"

"_Captain_ Sparrow" I interrupt. "If you please, I'd like it if you'd continue with your tale about my mistaken identity. However… preposterous… it may be, I'd much prefer it to whatever tangent you're starting to head off on."

Jack Sparrow smiles crookedly, exposing several glinting teeth.

"I thought you'd say that…"

Jack leans closer to me, his eyes black pools which glint wickedly in the light from the candles around the cabin.

"I'll start again by repeating myself. Your father is not Robert Chalmes, as you have believed for your entire life. You are not even any blood relation to him.

"Instead, you are the child of someone who followed rather a different career path. Have you ever heard of Denver Falcon?"

"The pirate? Who hasn't?" I reply.

"Well…"

I interrupt Sparrow with a disbelieving laugh.

"You don't want me to believe that _he_ is my real father? Please, do not insult my intelligence. If you're going to make up a story, Captain, at least make it plausible!"

"I don't want you to believe he's your father, _you_ want you to believe. Trust me on this one; it will make much more sense as I continue. Otherwise you're going to be very upset when we get to Isla Del Espejos."

"Oh? And why would that be?" I inquire.

"Because it will then be much harder for you to accept that the man who until now you thought was your father- that is to say, Robert Chalmes- is in fact more of a scoundrel than you see most pirates as. He is not the good man he has portrayed himself as to you- as in short, he has betrayed you and your mother, having sworn that he would look after you whereas he wants to do nothing of the sort."

This story seems to be getting more and more far-fetched by the minute- now Sparrow has involved my deceased mother? Strangely though, I feel compelled to continue listening to his tale.

"Please, give the truth a chance, Miss Sofia. If you will allow me, I will tell you the story of how and why you came to be where you are today. I hope it will explain things to you…"

I give him permission with a nod from my head.

"Right… As you have already pointed out, everybody has heard of the great pirate Denver Falcon- how he amassed a great fortune, during his many years sailing the Caribbean plundering from other ships, and how this fortune was hidden on an island before his death at the noose. However, many people believe that is all there is to it- that there is no way to find where this treasure is, that the pirate took the secret to the grave with him.

"However, this is not the truth… For unknown to many, Falcon had another part to him aside from the pirate- he was a family man, happily married with a beautiful baby girl to show for it. They were never on the ship with Falcon, as he thought it too unsafe, but instead they lived close to a quiet, secluded bay where Denver Falcon would often stop to pay a visit to his family. He was always true to his wife- never in his married life had he ever ended up in the bed of another woman, as some men seem so prone to do. And his wife only looked forward to those visits from Falcon, often waiting on the beach for hours with their daughter to catch the first glimpse of Falcon's ship.

"One day though, disaster struck. One of Falcon's crew betrayed him to the officials, and soon his whereabouts and haunting grounds were known by half of the Caribbean. Nowhere was safe for him anymore- he could not continue with the life he so loved for fear of death. And so he decided, for the good of his family, that he would give up the life of a pirate and retire to his house with his wife and child- but not before he had hidden the fortune he had amassed, until a safer time arose when he could return to collect it.

"He paid off most of his crew, taking only who he thought were the most trustworthy men with him for the final voyage. However, unknown to him it was one of these who he thought he could rely on that had already betrayed him and caused all this trouble in the first place, and was, indeed, going to cause more trouble before too long.

"They arrived at the island chosen by Falcon to be where he would hide the treasure, and they proceeded to do so without a hitch. However, sailing back towards home, the trustworthy members of the crew Falcon had chosen found one of their own on deck in the dead of night, acting very suspiciously. Upon further investigation they found a letter on him, addressed to the officials who were chasing Falcon down, which gave the location of the treasure. They had found their traitor, who had been ratting on them ever since their problems had begun and needless to say, they weren't exactly pleased with him. Soon he found himself tied to a Holystone and heading towards the bottom of the ocean, with a bullet through his head, while the crew celebrated, thinking that their problems were over.

"They returned to the bay near Falcon's home with hearts somewhat lighter than they were when they had left, and each went their separate ways with the promise that when the time came, each would get their rightful share of the plunder. Falcon settled down to live quietly with his wife and watch their daughter grow up, waiting until the opportune moment to go back and reclaim his treasure. Sadly, that day never came, for a few weeks after their last trip out to sea, each and every member of the elite crew that Falcon had taken with him on the final voyage was arrested, including Falcon himself. The authorities had learnt of who they were and where they lived, probably from one final letter from the traitor in the crew before he met his end. Luckily they never got hold of the letter telling the whereabouts of the treasure, even if it wasn't exact as only Falcon knew the precise location.

"The crew and Falcon were tried, found guilty, and hanged. The authorities tried to get Falcon to give up the whereabouts of the treasure, but to no avail, which was probably what sealed their fate in the end. The secret of Falcon's treasure went to their graves with them… Or so it has always been assumed.

"Yet stories have surfaced in the last few years which seem to discredit this belief- tales of a key, some sort of clue, which Falcon gave to his wife before he died. The wife later remarried, to some rich sugar merchant living in the Caribbean, although it is said she never truly loved him- or at least, not as much as she had loved Falcon. She also changed both her and her child's names, for fear of discovery as the wife of the infamous pirate Denver Falcon. When she died, she in turn passed the clue on to Sierra, her daughter, who still has it today."

"Sierra…" I murmur.

"Aye…" Replies Jack. "Do you see what I've been trying to tell you? Do you believe me now? This locket…" With this he reaches down and picks up the locket from between my shaky hands, "is the only way to find the treasure of Denver Falcon. You are his daughter, Sierra, and it is your mother who remarried to Robert Chalmes, changing both your names. She had hoped he would protect you and look after you if fortunes were not kind to her, but unfortunately she was mistaken.

"Please, stop for a moment…" I am finding this all so hard to take in. The story should seem stupid and utterly unreal, and yet, deep down, I feel as though it is making some kind of sense… However, I manage to gather myself to ask one question.

"So, how have you 'rescued' me? Surely you only want me for the locket, to find the treasure for your own selfish wants?"

"That's not true at all, Sierra…" Jack responds with. I notice how he has so easily made the transition to calling me Sierra, even within the last thirty seconds. Oddly, it feels comfortable, and familiar.

The Captain continues.

"Although to find the treasure of Denver Falcon may be every pirate's dream, that is not why I have taken you from Robert Chalmes' home. If you had stayed there, you would have put your life at risk, even without knowing it.

"This is because, recently, the man who you thought was your father has learnt of the legend of the treasure and the clues to it. He has put two and two together, and has got the correct answer of four- he knows you are Falcon's daughter, and he knows that only you have the key to the treasure. He wants that treasure for himself, to satisfy his own needs of a high rank and recognition within society- you know how he is desperate to obtain these goals. He will do anything, even if it means destroying the one he has cared for as his daughter for the last sixteen years- ever since you were two.

"If you had stayed with Chalmes, he would have convinced you to give him the locket, and worked out where it pointed to. He would have then taken you with him to Isla Del Espejos to ensure he got his hands on the treasure- there are tales of traps and barriers only passable by those who are blood relations to Falcon. And finally, he would have killed you on that island, to make sure no-one learnt of what he had done, and to make sure you did not try to claim what is rightfully yours."

I sit there in a shocked silence, unable to move. I do not want to believe what Captain Sparrow has told me, but already there is a part of me that has readily accepted it. Sparrow sees the look of complete confusion and horror on my face, which stems from the fact I could not believe that a man would do something like this for a title or recognition, and smiles grimly.

"It's the dark side of ambition, luv…"

He strolls over to look out the window.

"And even now, Mr Chalmes has not given up on getting the treasure. He is following us aboard The Serpent's ship- the ship that Mr. Gibbs sighted earlier. Granted, we're on the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and we've had a good day's… maybe more… head start on them, thanks to the sedative I gave your household…"

"The _what_!" I exclaim.

"Sedative, Sierra. A drug that has a calming/narcotic/soothing/soporific effect. Quite capable of knocking a person out for…"

I interrupt him.

"I know what a sedative is, Captain Sparrow. I was more wondering how on earth you managed to administer it to the entire household without anyone realising."

Sparrow grins, looking pleased with himself.

"Wine taster… Useful job, that… Making sure there's nothing in the wine that could harm anyone in the house drinking it… Of course, if the _wine taster_ puts something in the wine, who's to know? The wine gets passed out, with no-one any wiser, until it's too late. And, well, servants were easy- they always love a drink, especially if it's the master's finest…"

I realise what he has done now.

_Drugging the wine… It's true no-one would ever think the actual wine taster had done it… That plan was either madness, or brilliance._

Seeing as how it was pulled off so flawlessly, I would go with the latter.

"Sorry I had to knock you out too…" Sparrow continues. "But I didn't think you'd willingly walk out the front door with the strange-looking servant that Robert Chalmes had just pulled in off the street…."

_Damn right too_… I think to myself.

88888888

**Lady Kiara Skywalker**- Did that answer your query? Hehehe.

**Chocolat Pirate-** I love cliffhangers. They always seem to make people squirm! Although, if I do too many m,ore I may have people after me with big sticks and smashed rum bottles because they can't stand the suspense! Happy (belated) Birthday- glad to hear you got some nice stuff, especially POTC-related! And as for school- urgh. Don't mention it. I've just started back as well and I've got masses of work to do this year! Nooo...

**Wolf At Heart-** Yep, I left it there! Hehe. Then I got all the explanation into one neat chapter. Well... most of it... There's a bit more to come, I think... Anyway. And with your guesses- you can see you had the locket part right, but as for the Sofia/Sierra relationship, you were a bit off! But I love guesses, shows that people are really thinking about the story!

**POTC4Ever-** Thank you! And I have written more! Hope you liked it. Lol. Chapter 5 is on its way, I promise!

**Twadrummer-** Yep, the rudeness may well be part of the life of a pirate. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them... No! Stop brain! Ahem... Anyway... And yes, knocking the rum over was stupid of her, but she sounds kinda like me, I guess... Very clumsy! Lol.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note--** Slightly shorter chapter this time round- I've just had soo much work! It's insane!

**Chapter 5**

Another thought swims through the confusion of my mind.

"You mentioned my father… that is, my foster father if your story is indeed true… following us on the ship of 'The Serpent'? What is that?"

"Not what, darlin', but _who._" I have started to accept that however much I shoot disapproving glances at Sparrow when he calls my by these casual terms, he is not going to break the habit. However, I still do not like them- they make me feel common and grubby, as though I am some whore of his.

"The Serpent is otherwise known as Paul Serpiente, but whether that is his real surname I have no way of telling. He was the main rival to your father- they were forever jostling for the finest plunder in their haunting grounds, which overlapped by a considerable amount. However, normally it would be Falcon who was first to take the spoils, and Serpiente hated him for it. He would love to get one final victory over your father, and stealing his treasure is the perfect way to go about it. For this reason, Chalmes has enlisted his help and his ship- originally to help to retrieve the prize but now also to track you down- in return for some of the takings and also the chance to say that it was he who finally found the booty of Denver Falcon. Oh, and he also gets to take you as his wife, if you live after all of this."

_Who could add a sentence such as the last one with such casualness? _I marvel, although I know the answer to my own question. A pirate, that is who.

"I have never heard of this pirate 'Paul Serpiente' before…" Perhaps this is the moment where I catch Jack Sparrow out, and he reveals this story was all just an elaborate lie…

Sadly, I have no such luck, and Sparrow seems to take joy from revealing yet more disturbing news.

"You've met him, though… Of course, he was under a different name at your father's party- John Almsworth? Ringing any bells now?"

I let, my jaw drop- I am too surprised to think about any decorum at this moment in time.

"Thought you might recognise the name… Part of the reason for your party was so Chalmes could meet with Serpiente and discuss the final… arrangements. And, of course, so the man could meet his wife-to-be."

I shudder at this proposal

_Robert Chalmes was willing to give up me, the one who he had cared for as his own child, for some gold and jewels?_ Although, as soon as I have this thought, I can see how it would be possible- I know what lengths my… my what? Foster father?... has gone to before to try and gain recognition. I just would have never thought it possible for him to be desperate enough to try something like _this._

Anger at being betrayed bubbles up inside me, along with the beginnings of another feeling- hatred. Sparrow sees these emotions darkening my expression and tries to soften the blow.

"Don't get me wrong, luv… I'm sure Robert Chalmes had good intentions when he first took you in, before he knew you were connected to Denver Falcon. Sadly, his ambition has taken over now- he's not thinking straight, you can be assured of that."

"But that doesn't mean he has to resort to deception and betrayal, does it? Surely?" I am clinging to straws, trying to find some way out of this nightmare I have been thrown into. However, all the exits have been blocked.

"Apparently, it does…" Jack replies.

I cannot take it in. Robert Chalmes- the man who has been my father, doting upon me and buying little presents as treats as any father would, the only family I can remember… All he has stood for is a lie.

"You are lying…" I make one last feeble attempt to try and make Sparrow announce this was all a hoax, but I know it will do me no good- he speaks the truth.

The Captain smiles- almost a little sadly this time, it seems to me.

"Betrayal is a hard thing to live through- trust me, I've had my fair share of it. But I always find the best remedy is…"

"Let me guess… Rum?" I say.

Jack shakes his head, making beads jangle.

"No, luv. Not this time… Although it's a good way to numb the pain in the meantime. What I was going to say the best remedy for betrayal is… a settling of scores. Revenge in short, although I never did like that word much- it sounds too… ruthless."

"And how, pray tell, is this 'settling of scores' going to happen, Captain? Please, I'm very interested to know."

"How would you like to… remove… your father's treasure from under their noses, Sierra? Give Almsworth and Chalmes the ultimate dissatisfaction- they follow us to the island, and watch helpless, as you take what is rightfully yours. Almsworth loses his treasure and a beautiful wife, Chalmes loses honour, which for him will probably be even worse than losing a fortune. Think about it…"

88888

**Crazy-obsessed-jacksparrow-fan**-- _Bows_. Thankyou, Thankyou.

**Wolf.at. Heart**-- Hehe! Did you like the next little twist I put in?

**Twadrummer**-- Hahahahaha. You keep on shaking your fist at him! He deserves it! And as for quoting POTC... When do I ever do that? I'm just an almost-innocent bystander to all of this... _Whistles innocently._

**Chocolat **Pirate-- I put the plot down to my very over imaginative mind! And thanks very much!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note--** Sorry it's taken so long for this update. School is like a madhouse at the moment, if our noses were pressed to the grindstone any harder I'm sure people would be sueing for loss of limb (not that the nose is a limb... but still...). Anyway, here you go!

**Chapter 6**

I pretend to be thinking about the matter, but really have my mind already set- the hurt and anger from being betrayed did that for me.

"Well, Sierra… What say you?"

I look up into Jack's dark eyes.

"I'll go do it. Anything to wipe the silly smug looks they have no doubt been wearing off their faces. In thinking that they could trick a woman such as me… The daughter of a… pirate… Then they have grossly miscalculated". I jut my chin into the air defiantly, determined not to show how much I am affected by having to verbally admit that Denver Falcon was my father- it just seems to finalise this nightmare as real.

"Excellent! Let's have a drink to celebrate!" Sparrow rummages under the papers on the desk, and brings up another bottle of rum. Uncorking it, he takes a huge swig and then offers the bottle to me. However, he withdraws his hand slightly at the look on my face, and a slightly saddened look crosses his face.

"No?"

"Captain Sparrow, this is hardly the time for celebrating. We have a pirate and a man who would rather trade me in for a chest of gold… or whatever this treasure is… on our heels, and all you can think about is having a drink. No, instead, tell me how my locket is going to help find this Island where Falcon has hidden his treasure."

"There's never a wrong time for rum, luv. But, if you insist…"

"…And I do…" I interrupt.

"… Then I will explain about the locket." Sparrow continues. Flipping the locket so it is open, he gestures at the painting.

"Now this is your father here… A striking picture I must say, and you do bear such resemblance to him… But it is of no interest when it comes to what we're trying to find. The interest comes when we look at this rather unusual rock here…

"This rock in itself is a clue- and a fairly obvious one, I must say- Falcon apparently had no real desire to set any challenge to anyone in his family when it came to finding what he has left behind. This type of rock…" With this, he tilts it under the light so the iridescent colouring shines out, and then continues. "…Comes from only one place in the Caribbean- a small and hard to find place known as Isla Del Espejos- which roughly translates as The Island of Mirrors. The name comes from the type of rock it is made from- this stuff here."

I remember Gibb's entry and his words- _"Captain, we're still on course for Isla Del Espejos"_. Somehow, Jack had known that I would have accepted his story and agreed to join him in finding Falcon's treasure. He obviously knows me better than I know myself.

"So, by using my tremendous intuition… And a good bit of guesswork… I have come to the conclusion that this island is where Falcon hid the treasure. So, all that's left to do is find the island, grab the treasure for ourselves and leave Serpiente and Chalmes with nothing. Simple, aye?"

"In principle, yes." I reply. "But there are a few problems- one, how are you going to find this Island? Have you ever been there before? And two, just how do we set about stealing the treasure away from Serpiente and Chalmes when they are hotter on our heels than a bloodhound after a fox? We surely could not get there, take the treasure, and slip away before they arrived?"

"In answer to question one- no, I've never been to this Island before, but for me locations have never been a very big problem. You see, I have a rather handy piece of equipment…"

Sparrow leans past me and picks something up from the table. I see it is the compass that I had discovered earlier when I was rummaging around on the table, and I try not to laugh.

"Captain… I am afraid that compass is broken. It does not point true, if you hadn't noticed. So, unless you have a better one, I think we may end up going around in circles..."

Jack rolls his eyes, looking impatient.

"Just because it doesn't do the job everyone expects it to do doesn't mean it's broken, Sierra. It works just fine for the job I need it for. Trust me on this one."

I still feel doubtful, but before I can press any further Jack moves on the conversation.

"And as for question two- we're on the fastest ship in the Caribbean, luv. Nothing can keep up with us for long, although I do intend to give the _'Serpent'_ a fair chance at following us. Just follow orders and you will have your revenge. You have my word on it. Now…" Jack rises and strolls over to the door "… I have some business to tend to. And no doubt you wish to have some time alone to think this all over, Sierra. A cabin has been prepared especially for you- I will just find a hand to show you to it."

Opening the door he pokes his head out into the sunlight, glancing around.

"_Cotton!_"

I walk up behind Jack, and see over a man with grey hair and a beard come rushing over, a brightly coloured parrot sat on his shoulder.

Jack looks pleased to see him.

"Ah, Mr Cotton. Would you kindly escort Sierra to her cabin?"

Curiously, it is the bird who answers.

"_Raawk! Wind in your sails! Wind in your sails!"_

"Thank you, Cotton. Sierra, please follow this fine gentleman. I will see you later, no doubt- feel free to come up on deck whenever you feel like it, but just be careful you don't get in the way too much. I doubt you will, you look like a nice, self-contained woman… But just to make sure." Jack gently guides me out the door by putting his hand on the small of my back- just high enough up to be deemed acceptable. Once out the door, I turn around to make some comment about this, but find the door has been quickly shut behind me.

Sighing, I follow Mr Cotton and his parrot down below decks, not noticing the crimson sails that are just visible on the horizon.

The bed I have been given is mildly more comfortable than the one I had previously, but not by much. However, all of a sudden I am too tired to care- I can only have been awake for a couple of hours, and yet it feels like days.

_The sedative might not have worn off fully yet…_ I remind myself, lying back. My head is swimming with all the information I have received, and yet at the same time I feel oddly calm. Soon, my eyelids are drooping and I drop off to sleep.

It is not the deep, dreamless sleep though. My subconscious must be more troubled than I had previously thought, because strange dreams punctuate my rest, making me start awake a few times. Many times, I see faces- my mother, next to a man I have only recently begun to recognise as my father, both with jet black hair that blows in a wind I can't feel. They are staring down at me, as though I am held in my mother's arms, and the happiness I can see on their faces is almost too much for me to bear.

Other times, I see Robert Chalmes, but he seems to have subtly changed since the last time I saw him. Now, what I considered before to be a rather jolly rotund figure is now grotesque, bulging out of all the gaps in his clothes. The look in his eyes is one of pure greed, leering at me and straining forwards to grab his prize. In contrast, the man nearby to him has no sign of emotion, whether good or bad, in his eyes at all. They are completely cold and lifeless, and staring at me without wavering. It is these eyes-Serpiente's eyes- that seem to shake me the most, as after I see his face seems to be when I start awake, only to fall back into the same restless sleep soon after.

This trend continues for an eternity. I constantly toss and turn, desperately trying to rid myself of these visions, but to no avail- they haunt every corner of my mind. Finally though, I am brought out of my sleep by a loud knock on the door, causing me to shoot upright on my bed, nearly falling off it.

"Who is it?" I call, trying not to sound too flustered. However, there is no answer, so I have to stand and walk over to the door to investigate for myself.

_It's probably Sparrow trying to play a joke on me… I could see him enjoying that…_

However, when I swing the door wide open I see nobody there, Jack or otherwise. The corridor is completely deserted- I even check behind the door itself to make sure no-one is creeping up on me.

Shrugging to myself, I turn to head back into my cabin to tidy up my bed before I head onto deck- although I have no idea what time it is I am sure there will be an able hand up there to help me out.

I find myself staring into cold, dead eyes.

Screaming, I stumble backwards into the door that has shut behind me. There is little light now, but this only makes it worse- I can hardly see where the man is. Only fleeting movements in some corners of the room help me to guess where he might be. However, his eyes are still burnt into my memory, holding me in their icy grip.

Then I feel a hand grip my arm, cold and clammy. Screaming again, I try to shake it off, but the hold it has on me only tightens. A voice whispers out of the darkness, softly calling my name and sending ice-cold shivers up my spine.

"_Sierra…"_

Then the voice gets louder, and more insistent. Instead of being such a sinister whisper, it takes on a warmer tone, with a slightly slurred accent. The hand gets warmer too, although its grip does not loosen.

I open my eyes, which I had squeezed shut at some point, and find myself staring, not into those dead colourless eyes, but a pair of rich chocolate ones.

"Sierra!" Jack calls my name again then, seeing I am awake, relinquishes his grip on my arm.

I look around, confused. Once again I am lying on my bed, but the darkness has gone, along with the figure that was here. I sit up, feeling slightly shaky.

"Wha… What happened?"

"You were screaming enough to raise Davy Jones, luv… some sort of bad dream I expect?... I came in here to wake you, but you were having none of it, just screaming and trying to shake me off. You're quite strong when you need to be." Jack grins slightly.

"There was a man… Serpiente, Jack! Paul Serpiente was in here!"

"No luv, no… It was all in your head… Relax, he was never here. It's only been me the whole time."

"Well, that's almost as bad…" I mutter to myself.

"Sorry? I didn't quite catch that last bit." Sparrow cups his hand around his ear, as though it will enable him to hear better.

"Nothing…" I reply. Now I find out it was once again all in my head I feel very stupid. Nevertheless, it all seemed so real at the time…

"Don't let it get you down, Sierra. Dreams are only dreams after all- they can't hurt you in real life. Now, let's forget about it and what say you to coming up on deck to enjoy some fresh night air, ay?"

Jack stands, walks over to the door, then looks behind expectantly at me. Shaking my head, I rise as well and briefly try to smooth my very crumpled and worse-for-wear dress. Sparrow watches with an amused look in his eyes.

"And I think we're going to have to find you some more clothes, don't you?"

888888

**Jack's Savvy Lass**-- Aww, thanks very much for the compliment! I like to know that people like my style... Sometimes I think it's a bit long-winded and... well... English. Lol!

**Twadrummer**-- Yep, bet you just thought that Almsworth was going to be some random guy who just randomly appears at the start, and then is never heard of again... HA! Fooled you! Lol.

**Lady Kiara Skywalker**-- Yes! Revenge! Always Revenge! Muahaha... Ahem... Excuse me...

**Crazy-Obsessed-Jacksparrow-Fan**-- Aye aye Capitan! I will strive to add to this story whenever I can... Dodging around my mountains of A-Level work...

**Chocolat Pirate**-- Good to know this story is keeping up the same level of quality! I write some bits later at night than others (as in a LOT later!) so I'm glad my mind is still functioning at that point! And yaaarrr! Was is really around the 19th of September I last updated! Slaps self on wrists. Bad HamsterBall, must update faster!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note-** Omg! It's been two weeks since I updated already! Sorry guys... Must work harder- time just goes so quickly!

**Chapter 7**

The clothes that Jack gives me- consisting of a loose-fitting shirt and a simple pair of trousers, along with some boots- are much better suited to life aboard this ship. Granted, the cloth is rough and well-worn, but still it is a great improvement on my dress that had, up until now, been my only clothing aboard this ship. Said dress is packed away in a safe place, in case 'I ever have need of it again', as Jack phrases it. Although, I personally cannot see when I would ever have need of the tattered and stained shadow of its former self that the dress has become- it only serves to remind me of the past, and of Chalmes.

Days stretch into weeks, and weeks into months. I start to wonder if we are ever going to reach this island.

Lacking anything better to do, I soon turn to observing the crew going about their daily routine. I also use this to try and help me understand why someone would want to follow this sort of life- why my real father wanted to follow this sort of a life.

Everyone seems to know exactly what their chores are- they must be so used to doing them, day in, day out that they have almost become automatic. Men constantly scurry up and down the ratlines to unfurl more sail or take some in or to mend any rips or tears that their constant use makes, while others swab the decks or take care of any other damages which the ship may have obtained. This, surely, is why the _Black Pearl_ is the fastest ship in the Caribbean- with my limited knowledge of sailing I can see no other reason, as the masts are no taller than other ships', nor the hull sleeker. I even think this ship resembles one of the merchant vessels my father used to use for trading his sugar, and they were most definitely not the fastest of ships.

_Not my father, but Robert Chalmes…_ I pause to remind myself each time I make this error._ I may have thought of him like that once, but that time has long past since I found out what a… bastard… he really is…_

Quickly I turn back to the sights around me to try and distract myself from these thoughts, and with so much hustle and bustle around it is not long before my mind moves on to other things.

Captain Sparrow often appears on deck, although he is not out all the time- clearly he has much more 'important' matters to take care of in his cabin- like drinking rum, I have no doubt. On these times when he emerges, he always seems to check on the ship more than the crew- lovingly running his hands over some piece of wood, or glancing up at the masts. The smile that plays on his face at these times seems to suggest a private conversation, exclusive to him and the ship. I start to understand the love and respect this man has for his vessel- she is not merely a floating tub that allows him to do his dishonest jobs, but a real personality, with thoughts and feelings just like any other being.

The entire crew seems to be good natured, smiling and greeting me whenever I pass them, and offering to help me with anything I might need doing. Soon some of the crew start teaching me about certain aspects of sailing, and, at first out of boredom more than anything, I accept. However, after learning how to climb the ratlines I soon start to love the rush of exhilaration I get from it, and take up any other offers to be taught about jobs on the ship eagerly.

One crewmember, going by the name of Alexander, also tries to teach me how to handle a sword in his spare time, after he finds out that I have never had any instruction. When I first tell him this, it seems to surprise him, as he cannot see any reason whatsoever why someone should not be taught basic defence. I have to explain to him that Chalmes thought it not proper for a young lady to be taught how to fight, and that I would always have an escort with me anyway so if I did fall into any trouble, it would be they who sorted it out. Alex, as I soon start to call him, sees no sense in this and reasons that the daughter of a pirate, especially a pirate such as Denver Falcon, should know how to fight with any sort of weaponry that may fall into her hands.

I notice that everyone aboard this ship knows exactly who I am now- I have heard gossip always travels fast when you are on a ship, and this has certainly proven to be true. I do not mind really, but I just find it a bit odd that everyone seems to know about my past and my father, almost better than I do- they have had all the legends from over the years to build a picture and personality for this pirate, while all I have had is a mention of the name here or there, and now a small painting within a locket. I have a face, but no real sense of the man behind it.

Alex continues with his little speech on why I should be taught how to fight.

"After all, you don't have one of Robert Chalmes' henchmen to protect you now, and the streets of the Caribbean can often be dangerous even for those who do know how to look after themselves. And if you're in need of another reason why you should be picking up a sword and learning to use it, let's just say it was Captain's orders."

This last sentence makes me pause, but Alex seems to be oblivious to its effect, and continues with his lesson.

"Now, remember what I said about the blade- treat it as an extension of your arm…"

My lessons in life aboard a ship progress slowly but surely, with short bursts of time snatched when a crewmember does not have a more pressing job to work at. Often when I am receiving this tuition, I see Sparrow observing me, a half-smile on his face. He looks very satisfied with how I have settled in, and indeed how I am so quickly and easily taking on these jobs which, at times, can be quite strenuous.

Over the time I spend aboard the _Pearl_, my skin turns a darker shade from being under the Caribbean sun and my skin on the palms of my hands toughens, becoming calloused from hauling on numerous ropes all day long. Without noticing consciously, I have adjusted completely to the life of a sailor. However, I may know the basics to how to fight or how to operate a ship, but I do not yet have the ruthlessness to be able to capture another person's ship, and take their entire livelihood for my own profit. I feel this is what stops me from making the transition between a simple sailor and a fully-fledged pirate- I simply do not have the right attitude. And yet, looking around at the rest of the crew, I do not see how they do either. These men seem so content with this relatively simple life- they are not squabbling amongst themselves for their takings of the plunder, nor complaining about when the next ship is going to be captured. How could these people be capable of the crimes I have heard of, that so many pirates seem to commit?

It is during one of the moments when I stop to think about these things that Sparrow comes sauntering over to me. We have not spoken very much during the last few weeks, each busy with our own things. However, now I can see he is planning to make some sort of conversation with me.

I finish coiling up the rope that I was holding, placing it in a neat pile on the deck. I then stand up just as Sparrow leans on the rail, looking out over the water.

"So Sierra… How's life aboard my ship suiting you? Well it seems, from what I have observed… But one can never really tell what someone's truly feeling."

I join Jack in leaning on the rail, following where his eyes are focused with my own. There, on the horizon, I can just make out a reddish blur- one that Jack had showed me through his spyglass a few weeks ago to be the sails of a ship, stained a blood-red.

I answer Jack's question with on of my own.

"The Serpent is still following us, I see?"

"Aye, as I want." Jack replies. "Close enough to keep track of us, but not too close as to cause a problem yet."

As far as I am concerned, if The Serpent's ship is close enough for me to see, then it is far too close for my liking. Jack seems to sense this unease.

"Don't worry, luv. He's not going to get any closer than that, you can count on me. I've got him exactly where I want him."

Sparrow gives me a confident smile- I just wish that I could be so positive about having another those men hot on our heels. Still, I pretend to look satisfied and turn back to my chores. However, this act apparently doesn't work too well as Jack picks up on it far too easily.

"What? That's not good enough for you? I'm sorry to say it, Sierra, but there's no other way. They have to follow us to get to this Island so we can show them what happens when they overstep the boundaries. Soon enough they will be off your tail for good, and you can get on with leading a normal life again."

I shake my head in response to this.

"Normal! Jack Sparrow…"

Sparrow makes a small suggestive noise.

"…Captain Jack Sparrow- I have found out recently that the way I have been living for seemingly my entire life is a lie, and that my father is not my father but is in fact a complete scheming, two-faced liar, while my real father is a long-dead pirate with a massive wealth hidden on some remote island. Does it really sound to you as though I could ever lead a 'normal' life now!"

Jack cocks his head to one side, as if considering the question. Them he seems to brush it aside with a wave of his arm.

"Water under a bridge… We all have histories, luv, and difficult times in our past… But that doesn't mean they have to affect the future. What you do from now on is your own decision."

With that, Jack turns with a clink from some of his many trinkets, and heads back towards his cabin. The conversation is seemingly closed. However, I have one last question before I can let this topic go.

"And what would your 'difficult times in your past' be, Captain? From what I've heard of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, he's always managed to wriggle out of whatever desperate situation he gets himself into..."

This halts Jack in his steps. He stands completely still -not even with his usual sway-, then his shoulders seem to drop slightly and his head lowers. I have done something I never thought possible- removed the spark of life from within this pirate.

This only happens for a brief pause, although it feels like an age. Then Jack spins around to look at me, once again the happy-go-lucky pirate everyone would recognise him as.

"You've no idea, luv… But as I said, water under a bridge, aye? The past is the past." Now he once again heads back to his cabin, this time making it to the door. With one last wink at me, he disappears inside.

I resume my chores, thinking about what Jack said. I decide not to mention to him how the past often has a nasty habit of returning, especially when you least expect it.

888888

**Jack's Savvy Lass-** Well thank you! And I'll try not to leave you hanging for so long... Must work faster! ; )

**Chocolat Pirate-** Naaah... Thank you! Looks slightly embarrassed. I must say, I've always thought that my descriptive/story side of writing has always been my strongest point- it's the bit I enjoy the most as well- so I'm glad you're agreeing! And sorry for the delay again- as I've said, I've got to add as much to this story as I possibly can when I have the time!

**Lady Kiara Skywalker-** Strangely enough, I had a dream which was sooo similar to the one in this story the other week, and it REALLY, REALLY freaked me out... Maybe I brought it on myself, writing it here... I don't know...

**Twadrummer-** I love twists and turns! Makes for a good storyline, keeps the readers on their toes... Hmm, maybe I'm just twisted myself, and so have to confuse everyone else to make me happy... Muahaha! Seriously though, expect there to be a few more twists, sooner or later... Evil laughter once again. And it's 'pahfo2fsafubaixyglc', is it? Hmmm... Havn't come across that word before, I might need to check the dictinary for it... Lol, did you have a minor spazz and start thumping the keyboard to try and explain yourself, by any chance?

****


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I am roused from my bed in my cabin close to dawn by a loud shout from one of the crewmembers. However, any drowsiness quickly fades away when I hear what is being called.

"_Land ho!" _

There is an immediate scurry of activity from all around. I jump up and rush out onto deck, eager to get my first glimpse of Isla Del Espejos.

Staring out over the rail of the ship, at first I see nothing. However, squinting out at the horizon I eventually make out a grey smudge, barely discernable from the sky and ocean surrounding it. It seems to dip in and out of existence, and if I stare too hard for too long it disappears completely.

I am so engrossed in staring at the island that I do not hear Jack come up behind me.

"Beautiful…"

I start slightly but then when I realise it is only Sparrow I turn, narrowing my eyes at him, only to find his eyes staring straight at me.

"What?..." I ask suspiciously.

Jack smiles slyly, and then turns to stare innocently at the island, motioning towards it with one hand.

"I was merely commenting on the view, Sierra… No need for all the mistrust…"

I am not entirely convinced by this reply, but let it pass, noticing something interesting about the island ahead.

"Why does it seem to shimmer so much? It looks like a heat wave… But at the same time, it seems to be so many colours, which is not like a heat wave at all…"

Jack smiles, although this time without the slyness.

"That's all because of the material the island has formed from… Wait until we get closer, and then you'll see."

He nods knowledgably, satisfied with his own response, and then looks upwards.

"In the meantime, I think there's a bit more wind to be coaxed out of these sails. Mr Gibbs!"

He saunters off in search of the other man, leaving me staring out across the ocean at the ever-nearing island.

As we slowly near Isla Del Espejos, I begin to see what Jack was talking about.

The 'material'- as the Captain called it- that the island is made from is so distinctive that as soon as we are close enough to see the island properly, I recognize it instantly.

The shimmering that I had seen previously is being caused by the sun reflecting from the iridescent surface, like a light reflects from a mirror. This makes the island dip in and out of existence, much like a mirage. However, this is no mirage- the island is as real as the wood I am standing on.

Now I understand why the island is named 'the island of mirrors', and also why Jack knew that it could be only this island where Falcon's treasure was hidden. In fact, I am surprised that an island as distinctive as this has not become much more well-known.

At first glance the island had simply looked like a large dark mass sticking out from the water, but now we are closer I can see that there are cliffs, hills and flat plains, all made from the same, strange, mirror-like material. The affect is completely surreal, like something from a storybook that I would have read as a young child.

I reach into one of my pockets, drawing out my locket- these days I don't seem to wear it, but I still keep it on my person at all times. Flipping the catch, I open it up and stare at the rock that my father has placed there, many years ago.

The colours never seem to stay the same, but constantly waver and swirl, mixing together to form new colours that appear and are gone again in the same instant. This is completely mesmerising, and I can only imagine how strange it is going to be to step onto an island made from this material.

However, as always when I become lost in thought, I am quickly shaken out of it by Sparrow to appear- he always seems to choose these moments.

"Sierra… Could I have a word with you in my cabin, please?"

I nod, and follow him towards the stern of the ship, through the door and into the Captain's cabin. There, I settle down into one of the chairs surrounding his table as though I am totally at home.

"Yes, Sparrow?"

I have started to find it amusing to deliberately miss off the 'Captain' from his name, as it seems to agitate him almost more than anything else- except, of course, when he has finished his rum, and cannot find another bottle. Hiding said bottles works particularly well in this case if you really want to rattle him, I have discovered.

Jack looks at me with a slightly tested, but controlled expression on his face- he has already sussed put my game with his title, but even though he knows I am doing it deliberately it still seems to wind him up him slightly.

"I just thought I had better fill you in on what is going to happen when we reach the Island, in about… half and hour… from now. Just so you're ready when the time comes."

I tilt my head at this, interested- he has kept this plan of his from me for so long now, even with my consistent pestering, that I had almost started to expect I would never hear it.

Jack lilts over to the window at the very back of his cabin, and looks out. He starts speaking to me, without turning back around.

"Firstly, we are going to do nothing until Serpiente's ship has caught up with us- he's dropped behind these last few days and we need him closer for any of this to work. Before he drops anchor, however, we're going to sneak onto the Island, find the treasure, and…"

I start as the ship lists to one side slightly, then rights itself. Jack breaks off outlining his plan to concentrate on staying upright, and his head whips round, his expression uneasy. Without a word to me, he strides over to the door and then outside. I scramble up and hurry to follow.

"Mr Gibbs!" Jack looks around for the first mate. The man soon scuttles over to him, looking distressed.

"What's going on?"

The other man looks even more worried by this simple question.

"We're not entirely sure Captain… There's something in the water though and it's kicking up a powerful fight…" He motions over to the side of the ship, then adds, speaking so low I can hardly catch what he says:

"I told you she was bad luck…"

Jack looks back over his shoulder in my direction, and rolls his eyes. Clearly he doesn't take Gibbs' superstitions seriously, but even so, I feel slightly uneasy that Gibbs still doesn't seem to have accepted me.

Then the ship gives another lurch, and the Captain turns back to the far more serious matter at hand.

"So, what have you seen, Gibbs?"

"Take a look for yourself, Captain…" By now they have reach the side of the ship and Jack stares down into then water below.

To both mine and the rest of the crew's amazement and confusion, he starts to laugh. I hurry over to the rails to see what could possibly be so funny.

Looking down, I see that the water seems to have completely changed into a mass of writhing silver, which turns over itself seemingly in an effort to escape from the surface and climb up the edge of the ship. The extra weight of this, coupled with the turbulence this effort is causing to the surrounding water, is what is making the _Pearl_ rock so violently. To me this looks like a fairly serious problem, but Jack looks unperturbed. I stare at him questionably, and perhaps he catches this look from the corner of his eye because he soon starts to speak, although it doesn't seem to be directly aimed at me but more to the crew in general.

"Mirror fish." Jack takes one final look over the rail and then turns away, looking pleased.

"Crew, let out the nets!"

"Captain?" Gibbs still looks lost, casting another nervous glance over the side of the ship.

"Mirror fish, Gibbs. They're exclusive to the waters near this Island… Harmless enough, although they do tend to be rather inquisitive. Hence the reason they're currently trying to climb their way up the side of my ship. Give them some time- they're soon realise we are of no interest to them. While we're waiting, however, I suggest we roll out the nets… I've heard mirror fish make a fine meal."

"Oh…" Gibbs looks as though he finally understands.

"Right, now we've reached an accord on that front… Crew! The nets! Move it!" Jack starts waving his arms around in an official manner, and there is a sudden flurry of movement as the crew rush to do their Captain's bidding.

By noon, the nets are full of the wriggling fish, and any left in the water have lost interest and swum off, leaving us free to continue. Soon, we drop anchor in the bay.

The hot Caribbean sun dips over the horizon, giving way to a cool evening. Delicious smells drift up from the cabin, making my mouth water and my stomach rumble. From the scent, it seems what Jack said was right- these mirror fish will make a fine meal indeed.

However, it seems that I will never get to taste this dish- Jack comes to find me shortly before the bell for dinner rings.

"Sierra?" He strolls into my cabin to find me resting on my bed, reading a book I found somewhere on the ship.

I sit up, placing the book on the floor next to my bed, and turn to face him.

"Yes? Is dinner ready so soon?"

Jack looks at me, with one of his half-smiles.

"I'm afraid that you're going to have to go without your hot meal tonight, luv… We've got something more important issues to attend to. Grab anything you need- we're going ashore."

88888

**ilovejacksparrow121- **Oooh! New reviewer- yay! Welcome aboard! And thank you very much- you favourites? Aww... shucks. ;)

**Wolf.At.Heart- **You're back! Ciao! And good to know you're still enjoying it! Just one thing though- the 'park' thing was really good? Looks clueless. What part was that? (Notice how well I know my own story... I have such a rubbish memory!!!)

**Chocolat Pirate- **Well then, I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long! And excuse me- your writing is not a pile of dirt! As you may have read in the review I left for one of your stories! Lol.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note-** I've been having laptop troubles recently (my charger's broken, therefore I have no battery, therefore I can't use it...), so I apologise for a)how long it may take me to update- I have to fight my family for the main compter, and b)if there are any typos- I don't think there are, but I'm not used to this keyboard and so I keep hitting keys I'm not meant to.

Other than that, enjoy!

**Chapter 9**

I stare unsteadily at the ground underneath my feet, slightly disturbed at the way it bucks and tremors as though determined to throw me. This effect is only enhanced by the strange swirling and wavering of colour from the rocks and ground that my torch passes over.

I thought this problem would have passed fairly quickly, but even after we have crossed the jet-black sand that form the beach in the bay, and then scaled a relatively steep cliff, I still don't feel that I can entirely trust my legs to support me if I really needed it.

Jack casts a sly glance over his shoulder towards me, and I catch a small smile playing on his lips as he watches me. I choose this moment to take a particularly bad stumble on a misplaced rock.

"Not quite got your land legs back, eh, Sierra? No matter… Give it a few more hours…"

I grit my teeth and concentrate on watching where I am placing my feet, instead of thinking up some sort of clever response.

We pause for a short break near the top of the incline. I glance up at the stars above, marvelling at how many there are. Never before have I seen such a large number.

This quantity seems to be multiplied as the stars reflect on the ground underneath out feet, aided by the light from our torches. The effect is completely amazing.

"How did such a strange island form?" I ask myself aloud. "Surely it cannot be from natural causes…"

Jack answers my question for me.

"Actually, it _was_ 'natural causes', as you so phrase it… or at least, as natural as a volcanic eruption ever can be classed. This rock formed when the fires cooled- and so the island was born. Of course, this means it's almost devoid of any life- only the toughest can survive in such a harsh climate."

Jack hands me a flask- full of water for a change, instead of rum. I take a quick sip, then re-cork it and stand to follow Jack again, who has already continued on the route. I stumble to catch up.

"Jack… Do you even know where we are heading?" I look up momentarily to see him casting about with his torch, seemingly searching the ground.

"No." He replies, still staring intently downwards. "But as I've said before, that's never been a problem for me…"

He flips open his compass, following the direction it points with his head. He then adjusts his direction slightly to the left, without breaking his stride. I keep my head down, trying to concentrate on the dimly-lit ground under my feet. This soon proves to be a mistake when Jack stops suddenly, and I, not having noticed quickly enough, crash into his back.

"Steady, Sierra… I know it's difficult for you, but now is not the time… I need to concentrate, so try and restrain yourself, agreed?"

My mouth drops open in complete surprise and indignation.

"Jack?! How can you be so… Aaargh!" I scream in annoyance.

"Shh…" He waves his hand behind him, leaving me to fume quietly to myself while he bends low, taking particular interest in one rock.

"Sierra, come here…" Once again, Jack motions to me, but this time to beckon me forwards. I am tempted to be stubborn and resist, but curiosity gets the better of me and I stoop down beside him.

"What is it?" I question.

Wordlessly, Jack reaches out and grasps one of my hands, pulling it down towards him. I am forced to bend even lower as Jack places my hand on the rock in front of him. I immediately feel that the surface is rough- although it is a regular, 'formed' type of roughness, unlike that from the natural surface of a rock. I bring the torch in my other hand down closer, enabling me to better inspect the surface.

Although the rock is of the same strange, reflective material as found the rest of the island the writing is completely new. It is of an odd, angular design- like nothing I have ever seen before. I cannot even begin to guess at the characters or their meaning, yet Jack seems to be quite comfortable with reading them- in the flickering light from my torch, I can see his eyes glinting as they flick back and forwards across the script.

"Jack? What does it say?" I stare quizzically at the pirate.

Still without speaking, Jack gently moves me out the way, and then starts pushing on the rock. However, the harder he shoves the more it seems to wedge into the ground, and soon he gives up, panting heavily.

I step forwards.

"Let me try…"

Sparrow opens his mouth, looking as though he is going to make a witty comment, but then he shuts it and pauses, a strange look on his face. He moves back to let me get a good position, and I crouch into a firm stance, ready to pit my weight against the rock.

No-one is more surprised than me when, as I throw all my weight forwards, the rock slides so easily, as though it is on a hinge- it almost requires no effort at all to push, whereas Jack was making it look like it was stuck fast. I tip forwards through my own momentum, dangerously close to the black hole which has appeared from under the rock. I desperately try to regain my balance, but to no avail- my weight is centred over the hole too much- and I pitch forwards.

Strong arms reach around my waist, pulling me back upright. The force which they exert pushes the breath from my chest, leaving me gasping for air. I am dragged away from the hole and onto safe ground.

When I am standing back on my own two feet, I turn around to thank Jack for stopping me from falling- only to find myself staring straight into his chocolate-brown eyes. The words desert my mouth, and I am left to just stare helplessly, conscious of how close we are- and how my face seems to have turned to fire.

Jack gives a wicked grin, completely aware of the effect he is having on me. Loosening his grip on my waist slightly, he looks down towards the tunnel leading down into the centre of the island. Then he turns back to me, still standing with a completely stupid look on my face, and still trying to grasp hold of some more sensible feelings. He glances down at the way that I am grasping the lapels of his coat, which I had not noticed I was doing up until now.

"What did I tell you about this not being the time, Sierra? We have other matters in hand." He says this as though it is all my fault- however, it is not me who currently has the other person's waist securely encircled by my arm. This completely offhand comment, so typical of Jack, causes more everyday feelings to creep into my head, although mainly indignation and annoyance- which had not long dissipated from the previous occasion when he had wound me up, not five minutes before.

"So… Ladies first."

In one smooth move, Jack lets go of me at points towards the entrance to the shaft, breaking the tension. Mentally shaking myself, I walk over to it, keeping my eyes cast down in a pretence that I am looking for the ladder while in reality I just don't want to look anywhere near that goddamn pirate, who seems to know better than I do how my feelings work, and how he can manage to stir up unwanted ones.

Without Jack's compass, I am certain that we would become lost down here in these passageways and caverns. The tunnels are dark and twisted, so maze-like that soon after entering I lose any sense of direction. All I can do is keep hold of my light and use it to illuminate a safe path through the rocks scattered about, and pray that Sparrow knows what he is doing.

Jack pauses for the numerous occasion at a fork in the tunnel, consulting with his compass on which path to take. Soon he turns down into the left-hand passage, and continues on his way. I follow suit and start walking behind him again, noticing at the same time how the rock, even down here, is of the same material as that on the surface- it glimmers and swirls as the light from my torch passes over it.

After another brief period, we merge into yet another cavernous space. However, this one is far larger than any we have passed though before- the walls extend upwards into blackness, disappearing out of sight so I cannot even begin to guess the true height of the ceiling.

In one corner, an underground river emerges from a certain height up the wall face and cascades down into a crystal-clear pool below. The water shimmers with a thousand lights reflecting from the walls, making full use of the tiny amount of light which manages to streak down through a crevice somewhere high above my head- the only link with the outside world. Through this crack, I can see that the sky has got lighter since we entered this underground maze- meaning that the sun is starting to rise on the new day. We have been down here longer than I thought- this seems to prove the old tales I have heard of people losing track of time in such places like this, with no positive results.

However, by far the most majestic thing in this cavern is what sits right at the centre. It is a huge stone chest, made from some sort of black rock- polished to perfection, it gleams in the little light there is. Around the sides of it, there is more of the strange angular writing that we had seen earlier on the rock at the entrance, but in contrast the lid is completely smooth and clear. Although this chest is so simple in design, it truly is a beautiful thing.

Jack makes a small noise of appreciation.

"Very nice… Your father certainly knew a good ting when he saw one… And it has, without doubt, an excellent capacity to hold treasure…"

I start to walk closer, but Jack stops me.

"No use, luv- we're not going to be able to shift it, even just the lid- by itself it must weigh a tonne. No, here's what we'll do- I'll go fetch some of my able-bodied crew to help move this load, savvy? And you, I think, should stay here..."

He points to the ground between us, as though indicating a precise spot on which I should stand.

Although I'm not exactly thrilled with the prospect of waiting around here on my own, I can see what Jack is saying makes sense- just the two of us will never break into that chest. I nod in agreement to his proposal.

"Good."

He looks pleased, and immediately heads over to the entrance to this cavern. However, he stops as though on an afterthought, and turns back round to face me.

"Don't worry… We won't leave you down here by your onesies for too long…"

With one last wink over his shoulder, he disappears off into the twist and turns of the passages to the surface.

88888

**ilovejacksparrow121-** Here to stay? Excellent! And you know, I really didn't plan, in the beginning, for there to be attraction between Sierra and Jack- I never thought I was that good at writing things like that. But if there is, that's good, I guess! I thiunk you influenced me when you said that, to write the bit in this chapter just before they enter the caverns. How is it- okay, or not?

**Second Star to the Left-** Haha, this is a really bizarre comment, but your user name is my horse's showname! Funny ol' world, innit? Anyway... Ooh, another new reviewer! And there are things called mirror fish? It wasn't just my very overactive imagination creating things? Wow. Lol. Me? Any food is good, though I'ven never had oysters. And trust me, you don't want me to cook _anything_ for you... I managed to burn soup the other day, and I'm not kidding. Hehe.

**Wolf.at.Heart-** Don't you just hate it when you can't remember something? I do it all the time, and it frustrates me no end. And the rest of my family, when it's something they told me to do and I forget. Hehe. Anway, I fully intend to keep up the good work!

**RumQueen-** Wow, another new reviewer! Ciao! And thanks very much- I've always loved writing but normally I never have the commitment to follow a story all the way through... Luckily, this one's different! And as for the plot, I'm pretty darn pleased with it myself, so I'm glad everyone else love it as well! And I personally think it's about to get better- we're nearing the grand finale... type... thing...!

**Chocolat Pirate-** Gives round of applause Well done, mate!And if you want romance... I guess I'll give it to you!... If I can do it... Yep... I didn't actually mean it to resemble a POTC quote, I guess I just do it automatically! And it's from the deleted scenes- when Mallet and... the other one... are discussing what they're going to eat when the cursed is lifted, "just so we're ready when the time comes"! And you own the script? What, an original copy? Jaw drops I want one!!!!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note**- Just a little shorty chapter this time- I wanted this as a standalone, instead of part of another chapter, because I think it works better that way. Then again, maybe it doesn't... Meh. Enjoy!!

**Chapter 10**

Sighing, I decide I might as well use my time wisely- an opportunity to explore a place such as this doesn't come along too often.

I start by walking around the perimeter of the cavern, running my hands over the walls to admire the smooth rock it is made from, and then examine the pool and waterfall- The crater into which the water comes crashing down is infinitely deep, extending into darkness like a mirror-image of the cavern ceiling. Oddly, further down into the water, where otherwise it has changed complete darkness, I can just make out the faintest glimmer of a strange, almost fluorescent blue glow. I have no idea what it may be, but decide to back away from the water's edge, just in case- you never know what may lurk in the deepest, darkest corners of the earth.

At first, I try to avoid the stone chest, thinking that it is better to leave it until Jack gets back before I examine it closely, and also that I will never have a chance to look around the rest of this place if I look at that object too soon- I am sure I will get far too absorbed in it. However, as time passes the urge to get as close as possible to it increases, until I can stand it no longer.

I cross over to it, startled at the size even now- I had understood it to be big, but not _this_ big. Bending down to look at the sides first, I examine the characters I find there- with no hope of comprehension, but I at least find them interesting to look at.

_Jack would know what they say, I would reckon…_I think to myself.

Standing back up, I run my hands over the polished black stone of the lid, marvelling at its smoothness and how the light reflecting from the cavern roof falls onto its surface like stars, tiny little pinpricks of light. However, while I am doing this I feel my hand hit a rough spot, so obvious because it is so startlingly different to the rest of the surface.

Peering at it from the dim light of my torch, I manage to pick out the shape of a hand, hewn roughly out of the stone in complete contrast to the rest of the chest, which seems to have been so lovingly prepared.

Slipping my own hand into this indent, I wonder what on earth it could be for- it seems so purposeful, and yet is poles apart from the rest of the chest. The shape itself suggests a man's hand, with the fingers wider and the palm larger than on my own hand, and yet it feels so familiar, so… welcoming.

My other hand has continued to slowly wander over the surface of the lid in a completely absent-minded fashion- I hardly pay it any attention to it until once again I feel the rock change abruptly to more roughness. Glancing at this hand, my suspicions are confirmed- there, in the black stone, is another handprint- a perfect mirror-image of the first.

My body seems to have overtaken my mind now, instinct kicking in as my other hand fits itself into the second print. Fascinated, I wonder how these two marks could stir up as many emotions as the have done.

However, any more thought on this matter is thrown abruptly out of my mind when strange things start to happen.

Firstly, the stone beneath my hands starts to glow a brilliant blue. I see this light creeping around the edges of my fingers and try and pull away sharply, worried that something that I will not welcome is happening. I nearly dislocate both my shoulders doing this- I find my hands are stuck fast, held in place by some strange invisible force. I wonder vaguely if I should seem more concerned by the fact that I am glued to some strange surface with no idea of why this is happening, but this is only a fleeting worry- strangely, it doesn't seem to be affecting me too much, almost as though subconsciously I am aware of the situation, and what is occurring. I decide to trust my instincts, and wait to see what events are going to unfold.

From my fingertips and around the sides of my hands, the blue light starts to spread out in intricate patterns, looking almost like branches of a tree. These lines merge and then divide again, crossing over in each other in an effort to follow a pattern that only they seem to know. The air around me starts to glow with the excess light shining from is pattern.

I see that the lines are forming a specific shape across the surface of the stone lid, and strain to see what it is. Slowly I pick out the main shape amongst the lines, and then notice more and more until I build up the complete image.

The outspread wings of the bird stretch from one edge of the chest to the other, making the wingspan almost bigger than I am tall. In the centre of these is the body, covered in an amazingly detailed plumage- I can almost pick out each glowing feather. The piercing, predatory eyes stare out from the head, which is smooth and sleek ending in a ferocious-looking hooked beak. The angle of the head and the eyes give me the uncomfortable feeling that this bird of prey most definitely has his eye on me, and if it weren't for the fact that it is just a two-dimensional image, I would be trying with all might to free my hands- the feet and talons are far too close to me for my liking.

I would never have imagined it possible to make such a detailed picture out of lines of light- each feather, each detail, is so perfectly noted that this is by far the most wild, beautiful interpretation of a bird I have ever seen.

_Falcon certainly wanted to make sure his name was remembered…_I now recollect how I have heard in stories that Falcon's personal flag for his ship had been of the bird whose name he carried, although I am sure it was not as big or majestic as this one I see in front of me now.

The light of the lines now seems to intensify, shining so brightly I can hardly look. Then, each line deepens and widens, causing cracks in the surface, and in turn these increase in width and depth until the entire lid has separated into individual pieces. I find now that my hands are freed from the force holding them down, although this is probably due to the fact that there is no surface for them to be held onto, as even the rock that was beneath my hands has cracked and split.

Suddenly, the light dies from around the edges of each block, the spell finished. As quickly as the light spread, it is gone, with the surface of the lid following suit- I watch in disbelief as the rock crumbles and turns to fine sand, falling to the round around the chest. The majestic falcon that was there is now no more.

_It always seems to be the most beautiful of things that last for the shortest amount of time…It seems like such a pity. Still, I suppose it make us appreciate them even more_… This thought seems so true to me. Even so, instead on dwelling on what has passed I soon move on to different, more immediate events- this mainly being what is inside the chest.

"And on that, I think it's time to have a look…" I say out loud to myself.

Another voice replies, chilling me to the core before I even consciously work out who it belongs to.

"Indeed it is… I've waited long enough for this moment, believe me…"

Slowly, I turn around to find myself staring into a pair of cold, lifeless eyes.

88888

**Second Star to the Left-** Duuude... that sounds like an awesome cake. Strange, but awesome. Lol. And you like my story? Hehe, I would hope so- I would hate for you to be just reading it and hating every minute of it!!!

**Chocolat Pirate-** Jaw drops. I... want... your... movie... script!!! Seriously, I'm soooo jealous!!! And, well, I have to deliver what you want, I guess, so you want romance, you got romance! Kinda... although not in the next few chapters... maybe, I'm not sure... Depends how I decide Jack would act in the situation! Lol.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note--** IT DID IT!!! IT UPLOADED!! WOOT WOOT! So, here's Chapter 11 for those of you who haven't read it already... And Chapter 12 will follow as soon as I upload it.

**Chapter 11**

The scream that escapes from my mouth echoes from the walls surrounding us, carrying on long after a clammy hand has been clamped across my mouth.

"Shhhh, Sofia… We don't want to disturb anyone now, do we?" Smooth as ever, Almsworth- or Serpiente- smiles slyly at me- but where Jack's sly grin is playful, wicked, his is just full of malice and threat, forcing me to suppress a shudder.

Serpiente must have noted my discomfort, for now he leans even closer and whispers in my ear.

"No need to be scared, sweetheart… I'm not going to hurt you. After all, I wouldn't want to spoil the goods…" He gives a short mirthless laugh, and then takes his hand away from my mouth and steps back to stare at me, pale eyes raking up and down my body.

"Although I'd hate to think what that beggar Sparrow has done to you, having kept you aboard his ship for all these weeks… How he's dressed you is bad enough- daring to put a woman in men's clothes is just disgusting. What happened to that beautiful dress you had on when we met previously? It must have cost your father a pretty penny…Sparrow's probably sold it at the first chance he got- the only pirating he's good enough for, I suspect. It did suit you so well, though…"

He reaches out with one of his hands towards my face, but I flinch away as though I am about to be struck. He looks confused as to why I am rejecting him at first, but when he sees the complete look of disgust on my face, he comprehends and withdraws his hand.

"Sofia…"

"Don't call me that!" I find my voice again.

"That's no way to talk to me, Sofia… Obviously, living amongst the filth of the Earth for a month or two has allowed you to completely forget all you manners. Here- let me remind you…"

In a flash, he is beside me again, with his hand encircling my neck.

"Women only speak when addressed to… And never in anger or contempt, never to speak out against men. You'd do well to remember that, otherwise I may… assist… you in never speaking out of turn. Or indeed, never speaking at all…" His fingers trace around my neck, following the line of my shirt.

"Do I make myself clear?"

In response to this final question, I spit in Serpiente's face. He recoils in horror, desperately wiping his face as though I will contaminate him somehow. However, he soon recovers and looks and me with and expression of hatred.

"You little wh…" He strides back towards me, drawing a small dagger from his belt. I prepare to run, unable to think of anything better to do, but just as I am gauging what direction to head in, another voice comes from behind Almsworth that freezes both him and I in our tracks.

"STOP!"

At first my heart leaps with joy, thinking that Jack has summoned the crew and has arrived to save me. But when I peer around at the new figure, it occurs to me that the voice had not been the rich, slurring tone of the pirate, but rather a more clipped and precise English accent, still familiar but much more unwelcome. This is further confirmed by the profile of the man, who is portly to say the least, short-haired and opulently dressed, completely unsuited to running around on rough terrain such as this- as he steps into a shaft of light I see a thin sheen of sweat covering his brow.

Serpiente sighs and rolls his eyes, sheathing his dagger in the process.

"Mr Chalmes… I thought I told you to stay on the beach? You will only slow me down on the return journey…"

Robert Chalmes steps nervously up next to Serpiente, producing a small white handkerchief which he uses to mop his brow. Then he seems to summon his courage and squares up slightly to the pale pirate- despite the fact that he only comes up to his chest.

"I will not allow you to do this to her- at least while I am around. When you have taken me back to my estate, and left me with my prize and you with yours…" I see his eyes flicker for a spilt-second in my direction "…Then I will have no power to stop you. However, until then, I beg of you- let her be."

Serpiente's eye slide from Chalmes to me. A slow smile spreads on his lips, but disappears almost as soon as it forms. Then he steps back behind Chalmes, and motions towards me.

"Then she's yours… For now…"

Chalmes gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly in his throat. Then he turns his attention towards me, putting a large, fake smile on his face- one that does not stretch as far as his eyes.

"Sofia…"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" This time, I shout even louder, indignant that this message doesn't seem to have got through.

In the background, I catch Serpiente shaking his head.

"We've been here before, Chalmes… In fact, this is where we had reached just before you walked in, I think…"

"Thank-you, Mr Almsworth, but your input is not needed here. I am merely about to explain to Sofia what is going on..."

"There's no need." I interrupt. "I've already heard what your power-hungry scheme is, thanks to Jack."

The smile flickers uncertainly.

"Sof… Erm… Would you care to explain what you mean?"

All about how you were going to bring me here with the sole purpose of using me as a tool to get to Falcon's treasure, and how you have enlisted the help of… him…" I glance over at Serpiente, "…To achieve your goal, in return for which he would get a cut of the treasure, but more importantly, me. Oh- and there's no use playing the 'name-game' with me, I am fully aware of each of our statuses now- once again all credit to Captain Sparrow, as he filled me in quite well on what sort of a money-grabbing bastard you really are. So please, I don't need you pretending to be fatherly to me now… It doesn't fit with your new personality anyway."

Chalmes' face hardens, taking on a new expression that I do not think I have ever seen before- anger. The effect is quite scary for me, as the man who I knew before has now completely disappeared.

"Fine." He turns and walks away from me, staring at the stone chest. "I had thought previously that you may come with us willingly, in return for a reward… Or that you would still feel a certain loyalty to me, the one who has cared for you over all the years of your life. But I now see that is not going to be the case. Mr. Serpiente, if you would be so kind."

The taller man steps forwards towards me before I have any time to react. He soon has me pinned against the side of the chest, with no hope of running anywhere to escape. Drawing out a piece of long, sturdy-looking cord, he roughly grabs my hands and starts to wind it around them, pressing his body rather more closer than I am comfortable with in the process. Soon, my hands are bound and he is holding the one loose end, tugging me forcefully towards the exit of the cavern, with Chalmes follows a short distance behind.

Serpiente delivers one final piece of conversation to me, whispering in my ear so quietly that I only just pick it up.

"I wonder, Sofia… You seem to trust Sparrow an awful lot, for someone who makes it his way of life to cheat and deceive. I expect you are so calm and fearless because you believe he is going to come and save you, and sort you out from all this mess, but how do you know he hasn't left you here, for us? Perhaps he struck a bargain with us- to win your trust and bring you to this Island under false pretences, in return for a share of the prize? Had you ever considered that? From what I have heard of Captain Jack Sparrow, it sounds like an entirely plausible explanation for his absence at the moment…"

I see the satisfaction in his eyes and he watches the havoc these statements wreak. Before now, I had never considered it, but now Serpiente has planted the seed of doubt in my mind I cannot get rid of it- when had Sparrow ever sworn, unconditionally, that he would make sure I was kept safe? Thinking back, I could not remember any occasion, even when he left me down here to return to the surface.

"_Don't worry… We won't leave you down here by your onesies for too long…"_ Those were his final words to me, and they do nothing to help settle my fears- like Jack's words always seem to be, they are vague and could be interpreted in any number of different ways. Sadly, I now seem to fear the meaning behind them is the worst oe possible.

_Oh Sierra…You've been tricked and you know it… Just why hadn't you the sense to notice it beforehand?! Too busy having romantic fantasies about a certain pirate, I expect. You stupid girl! _My thoughts are true; I should never have let my guard down and trusted that man, who I hardly even knew.

Chalmes starts talking to Serpiente now, oblivious to what had just occurred between the pirate and me.

"We will return to the ship, I think. And then perhaps you could send some of your fine crew back here for the treasure? Many hands would make light work of the chest, I'm sure…"

We head off up to the surface, with Serpiente and Chalmes discussing what steps to take next, and I trying desperately to hang on to any last shred of hope I have remaining.

Although the surroundings I have been put into are lavish, with everything I might need, this still does not disguise the fact that I am imprisoned in here. The door has been locked tight- I have tried it enough times to know this for sure- leaving me to stride restlessly around the cabin. The walls, covered in detailed and exotic paintings, feel as though they are closing in on me and slowly suffocating me, and the numerous pieces of furniture and other objects only add to the clutter.

I turn to staring lethargically out of the window at the blue shies and seas. It has been so long since I have stayed inside for any length of time that it feels strange to me not to have the wind blowing on my face or the sun warming my skin. All I can do is stand and stare at what I cannot reach.

I hear shouting and movement from everywhere around me, but even though this felt so normal aboard the _Pearl_, now the sounds are disorientating and strange. At one point, a loud grinding- so fierce the ship itself seems to vibrate- almost makes me jump out of my skin. It is only after I have calmed myself that I realise this must be the sounds of Serpiente's crew bringing the chest aboard the ship.

Several hours seem to pass. I watch the sun, fully risen now, makes its way across the sky. It seems to reach its peak- I presume it must therefore be midday- when suddenly everything goes silent. Even the footsteps I had previously heard everywhere, as the crewmembers scurried back and forth, cease.

Then I hear one voice speaking out- even though I cannot hear the exact words, the tone I recognise instantly to be that of Serpiente's. This recognition instantly brings the hairs out on my neck, and makes me shudder. The sound of his voice is only broken by cheers from the crew every so often- I presume that he must be speaking to them, probably of their success.

Trying to distract myself, I return to staring out the single window. This has the desired effect, as immediately I see something that catches my attention.

Another ship is visible, further out in the bay. Even without taking in the black sails and hull, I recognise instantly to be the _Black Pearl_-I have spent enough time cleaning that ship to know its shape off by heart.

Hope wells up inside me- surely the only reason that the _Pearl_ is here is to save me. The time has finally come for Jack's plan- whatever it was- to be put into action.

Something seems wrong, however. The perspective from where I am standing makes the ship look as though it is actually moving away from us, out of the bay and into the deeper open water.

_Why would this be happening if they were coming to get me?_

I realise, with a sinking feeling, that it is not actually the perspective playing tricks on me, but it is in fact that the ship _is_ facing in the wrong direction to be coming my way. As I watch, the sails unfurl and billow out, catching the breeze, and the ship soon picks up speed, heading out towards the horizon.

My last shred of hope disappears as I watch the _Pearl_ round the rocky headland, sailing out of sight.

_Serpiente was right… He _did _trick me…He'll probably get a nice sum from that stupid washed-out pirate for doing it as well…_

Helplessly, I slide to the floor and curl up into a ball, completely alone and with no hope of escape. Apprehensively, I wait for whatever is going to occur next- now I know Jack has betrayed me, I know it is not going to be pleasant, and that I will have no way of escaping it.

88888

Erm... I've got a bit lost with where I am with feedback, from the whole swapping sites thing... Lol, give me a while and I'll work it out, I'm sure...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The sails billow as the ship expertly navigates the rocky headland, catching a new breeze. The coast it is sailing along looks desolate, uninhabitable- there is no apparent reason for the vessel to stick so closely to it.

However, as the ship continues on its way- with the black hull cutting through the water so cleanly that almost no spray is thrown up at all- a gaping black hole appears in the cliff face, almost big enough to sail straight into. Around the edges of the hole are jagged rocks that stick out, making it dangerous for a ship of this size to go anywhere near it. Who knows what lurks beneath the surface of the water to catch out the unwary- many ships have been wrecked on coasts such as this one, when their foolhardy captains either did not have the sense or the experience to avoid the rocks.

The ship seems aware of the risks ahead, and seems to decide not to take its chances- or at least, not for now. Soon, the anchor is weighed and splashes down into the heaving seas below, holding the ship in a relatively safe place. All activity aboard ceases as the crew settles down to wait, but whether they truly know what for, only time will tell. One lone man seems to show any sort of anxiety- as he turns his face towards the entrance to the sea cavern, lines crease his forehead and he runs his hand through his grey hair in an absent-minded fashion. Presently, he draws out a small hip-flask, taking a quick gulp of whatever liquid is inside before turning to resume his watch on the cave entrance.

A tune echoes through the caverns under the surface of the Isla Del Espejos, softly bouncing off the walls until it seems to come for each and every direction. Then it dwindles and dies, making way for the man who appears from one of the many tunnels.

Apart from a quick glance round, he seems to be fairly confident that there is no-one else around to surprise him- certainly, the way his walk consists of a jaunty swagger suggests how at ease he is. The song he resumes humming, though simple, has a cheerful tune and the man seems to thoroughly enjoy it- occasionally breaking out into parts of the lyrics. These words and phrases, like all the noise that is produced down in these tunnels, bounces straight back off the walls towards the original source and makes it sound as though there are several of this distinctive swashbuckling character, instead of just the one.

"… _And really bad eggs... Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!"_

It could only be Captain Jack Sparrow.

He swings his head around to peer over his shoulder, causing a sudden flurry of noise from the beads and ornaments that adorn his hair as they collide with one another. Satisfied there is no-one there, he commences his tasks here by stepping over to a large plinth in the centre of the cavern, on which until recently had sat a large stone chest. This object has now disappeared, with only a few coins and such which escaped left over. However, it has given way to something apparently much more interesting, and, by the way the he stares at it intently, something very important to this man.

A large image of a falcon, head turned sideways and wings outstretched, is carved onto the black stone of the plinth. The eye is a large red stone- undoubtedly a ruby- which, from the scratches and markings around the edge of the setting, someone had tried to get out recently, only to fail. This gives the image of the bird an unyielding, piercing and mildly intimidating stare.

Even so, Jack does not seem phased by it. Indeed, from the way he bends to look at the markings surrounding the bird of prey, it is clear there are other things he finds far more captivating. He runs his fingers over the marks hewn from the surface of the rock, mouthing words silently to himself as he does so.

Then, sharply, he stands up and walks away, towards the pool and waterfall over in a far corner. Glancing down into the clear depths, he spots a glow coming from somewhere in the water- but how far down it is, he cannot tell.

The pirate bends down and takes off his boots, then proceeds to remove his hat and various belts with weapons attached, leaving them in a neat pile beside the water's edge. He straightens up, appearing to prepare himself for something.

Without warning, he takes a short run and dives into the freezing water of the underground pool.

Immediately, it seems, he is lost in the darkness of the water, following only his senses to keep him going in the right direction. Although he swims strongly, the light he is heading towards never seems to change position but instead stays just out of reach, impossible to gauge a distance to.

Swimming ever down, he starts to feel the pressure of the depth closing in on him. How long he has been going for, he does not know, but from the strain in his lungs he knows his time is almost up- he has to reach his destination soon.

However, this doesn't seem to be an option. The blue light still does not appear to be getting any closer, and by now the pressure is almost too much to bear. Bubbles escape from Jack's mouth, and he realises that he cannot go any further- he has to return to the surface.

Turning around in the direction he hopes is up, he fights against the water surrounding him to build up some speed. However, as he kicks out with his legs he feels as though there is nothing there- he does not feel the resistance of the water, but instead, a nonentity… Oddly, this feeling seems to spread up his body- the weight of the water appears to lift from his legs, then his torso, and heads up towards his shoulders. Jack knows he has not swum far enough up yet for the pressure to be returning to normal, and so looks down in confusion.

What he sees there is a whirling mass of blue light encasing his lower body, and spreading up towards his head. Above him, he can feel the water, and below him, he can feel nothing, but instead of struggling against the unknown, Jack gives a small smile which flashes gold even in the dim light at this depth of the water, and presses his arms to his sides to streamline his body and slide through the blue light faster. It is not long before his head is encased in it, and soon he disappears altogether.

Instantly it seems, his feet hit hard stone. Stumbling slightly as he attempts to regain his balance, Sparrow opens his eyes, which he had shut while passing through the blue light. Staring at his clothes, oddly he finds them completely dry- almost as though he had never swum down through a deep underground lake two minutes previously.

The chamber around him is lit with an eerie blue light. Looking up, Jack sees where he had come from- high on the ceiling is a strange, whirling mass of blue light, shaped almost like a whirlpool. It is in constant motion, changing shape and brightness so the light of the cavern flickers and shifts, never staying constant. It looks almost like the reflections of water.

In the light cast from this, he takes a good look round where he has emerged in.

The walls form a perfect circle, hewn out of the rock so perfectly the surface is completely smooth and glassy. The floor is also smooth, but not of the same material as the walls- finally, a much less unusual grey-flecked rock shows through, instead of the mirror-glass from which the Island got its name.

In one corner, almost blending in with the wall behind it, is a large black chest, identical to the one that had been standing in the cavern above- until it was liberated by Serpiente- apart from the shape, as this particular chest is much longer, flatter and thinner. Coffin-shaped.

Jack grins again, and heads over to this chest, or whatever it is.

The design is simple- completely black, with a small version of the falcon emblem engraved near the centre. Small letters underneath read;

_DENVER FALCON_

Jack walks right up to the side of the tomb, laying his hands on the top.

"Ah, Falcon. It's good to see you again, mate… Although you don't seem to be as lively as when we last met..."

Sparrow reaches down and fishes around in one of his pockets, and then draws out a long golden chain with a locket hanging from the bottom.

He holds it up to get a better look at it, admiring the way it glints even in the limited light down in this cave. The, looking back down at the coffin he continues his one-sided conversation.

"When I first met your daughter, I thought that it was going to be nigh impossible to… borrow… this locket without her knowledge- she kept a tighter hold on it than most Kings do their jewels. Still, she seems to be less needy of it now she's settling in to the life of a pirate- which she's done admirably well, I must say. In the end, 'twas easy to take it from her… all she needed was a little distraction." Jack winks at the coffin lid.

"No worries, I'll make sure it's returned safe at sound at the end of all this- although she'll probably be thanking me when she figures out what's gone on. Anyway, to business- I'm in need of your help. Or rather, Sierra is. I'm just here for the rewards at the end…?"

Jack places the now-open locket in a correspondingly shaped hole, previously unnoticed, in the lid of the coffin. Making sure it is properly inserted, he then steps back to wait.

For a while, nothing happens- all is completely still and calm as he waits patiently, as though he has all the time in the world to save Sierra.

All of a sudden there is a brilliant flash of white light, coupled with the crackle of static. The light seems to originate from the locket placed in the top of Falcon's tomb, and, as Jack watches, it detaches and becomes a floating ball, gently rotating in the air. Something about it gives the presence of a man with black hair and a pleasant personality- quick and intelligent. An image seems to build in Jack's mind, but whether this is just a memory of a previous occasion where he had met this man, or whether it is an image somehow being portrayed into his mind it is not certain.

Sparrow cracks a wide smile, looking as though he knows exactly what is going on.

"Falcon… Welcome back. Even if it's not permanent, I'm very glad to see you again. However, we have other matters to attend to other than catching up on news right now- namely your daughter. She's in danger… which, of course, had nothing whatsoever to do with me… Anyway, she needs your assistance and from the various texts scattered around this Island I'm guessing you'd be only too happy to oblige with this help. Am I right?"

The ball of light pulses, expanding and then contracting, seemingly in the same instance. Whether this is in agreement at Jack's statement or anger from what the other pirate is saying, there is no way to tell. As always, however, Jack seems to be completely clued into the goings-on.

"Excellent… Well, follow me mate… I'll outline what you need to do, although you've already got a pretty good idea, I'd imagine. Ah well, time waits for no man, not even a deceased spirit…one…like yourself…"

Jack waves his hands in midair while holding this conversation, as if to emphasise a point. Then, he picks up the locket from its hole in the coffin- being very careful to make the hinge does not snap shut and obscure the image of Falcon inside. Quickly, he walks over to the side of the room where there is seemingly a blank wall. However, when the glowing orb of Falcon's spirit reaches it, the wall cracks and splits to form a door, which opens up to reveal a narrow passageway.

Jack strides out with the orb bobbing gently above his head, which he is soon in a seemingly one-sided conversation with. It is not long before they reach a cave, half-submersed in water, which has an old and dusty rowing boat bobbing in it. Jumping in, Jack begins to row expertly towards the light of the exit, the open sea, and the _Black Pearl_, while the ball of light dives under the surface of the water and speeds off ahead, with a different destination intended.

88888

For the time being, I'll just say thanks for everyone's reviews!


	13. Chapter 13

_**Fanfare**_

New chapter!! Now... just a little A/N on this one... It lives up to its... T-rating, is it?... a bit more... maybe... at the end...

If that made any sense... Ah, just read it! Hehe.

_Edit-_ Bugger... I've only just realise that doesn't like asterisks! That's annoying... It must have soo totally messed up my pauses before now... Grrrr... Lol. Argh! Looking back I see it's done it everywhere, so one part just runs into another! I hope it made sense! Bloody thing...

**Chapter 13**

A knock on the door makes me start awake, my eyelids snapping open immediately.

I find myself still in the corner where I had been, in the same position. I must have dozed off at some point without realising, but now, as I attempt to stand up, I vow never to do something like it again- my legs buckle with cramp from being in the same, strange position for however long I have been huddled there, and agonising pains shoot up my body.

It takes me a few moments to remember where exactly I am, as in the twilight everything looks different- even stranger than it did when the sun threw light into this cabin. However, my eyes adjust enough to pick out odd, unfamiliar-shaped furniture and I realise that I am on a ship- Serpiente's ship. I feel my stomach drop unpleasantly at this thought.

The knocking on the door starts up once more, more insistent this time. Now trusting that my muscles have returned to their normal state, I start to walk cautiously over to the door, slightly apprehensive as to who I might find there.

Again, the knocking is repeated, each time getting louder and seemingly more impatient. Skirting round an unrecognisable dark shape that is in my path, I find myself standing in front of the door, wondering what to do next. I am unarmed, and completely unprepared for who might be standing there.

However, my fears disappear as soon as I hear the voice, sounding so weedy and pathetic that I cannot stop myself from laughing. Now, instead of dread, I am filled with the feeling of disgust.

I swing open the door with such force it bangs into the wall behind it, then stare at the man before me with a very hostile expression on my face. He appears to shrink slightly before realising that he, in fact is the one in charge, while I am just his captive.

Chalmes gives me a small smile, which, when my facial expression does not change, quickly disappears.

"Sierra... Ah… Serpiente requests your presence in his cabin, for dinner. He has given me this dress to pass on to you, and he requests you wear it."

"And if I refuse?" I reply, shortly.

Chalmes looks uncomfortable.

"That would not be a wise idea… Not a wise idea at all. If you allow me to give you one piece of advice, just one… It is that you should stay on the right side of that pirate. He is not known for his patience."

I pause for a second, to consider what he has said. Then, so suddenly I make the man jump as though he had been hit, I reach out and snatch the dress from him.

"Happy now?"

"That was a wise move, Sierra." Chalmes looks relieved. "Now, on something slightly more pleasant- how are you today?"

In response, I slam the door shut, smiling with satisfaction as I hear him squeak in surprise. Then, I turn to the dress in my hand, and the pressing matter of attending dinner with Serpiente.

Standing in front of the mirror I have found, with only the light from one small candle I managed to light, I run my hands nervously over the dress I am now wearing. It is a beautiful, high-quality material, granted, but the style is rigid and uncompromising, the corset bones pushing my breasts up as high as possible while the low neckline reveals rather more than I would want. My reflection looks like a common whore from the streets of Tortuga, and not a woman going to dine with the captain of a ship.

_Perhaps this is the effect Serpiente wants to create…_ I shudder at the thought.

I turn towards the door, the deep plum material rustling as it stiffly folds over itself. Then, I open the door and step into the corridor outside, almost standing on a sullen-faced man with scraggly red hair and an ill look. He starts to walk off, calling behind him with absolutely no emotion.

"This way."

I head towards him, catching him turn around slyly and casting a glance at the low neckline of my dress. He sees I have noticed, however, and tries to avert his gaze as though thinking I had not noticed him looking.

Trying to adjust the dress surreptitiously so I feel less self-conscious, I hold my head high in the air and breeze past the crewmember, continuing down the corridor despite the fact that I do not actually know where I am going. He scuffles after me to catch up, walking just a pace behind to point me in the right direction when we get to a pair of large black doors, as wide and ornate as the narrow passageway allows room for.

Scuttling ahead, the man pushes the doors open for me and gestures inside. Taking a deep breath, I stride into the quarters of the Serpent.

888888

The blond pirate is standing by the large window, staring out into the twilight outside. A painful pang rips through my heart as I remember Jack Sparrow in the same position, at the window of his beloved _Pearl_. Perhaps that ship is the only thing Jack really cares for, seeing as how I have now found out first-hand how he treats humans.

Hearing the doors opening, he turns around to see me walk in. A smile is carefully arranged on his face, but looks forced and unnatural and does not extend to his eyes- which remain as cold as ever.

These eyes soon slide down towards the front of my dress, using a stare that is so fixed it seems to bore right into me. I cannot believe it, but should probably have expected it- for all his airs and graces, Serpiente is no better than that scurvy crewman who had shown me here.

I cough loudly, making the pirate stop trying to stare into my bodice and instead fix his eyes on my face instead. The fake smile returns.

"Sierra… How nice of you to join me…" He walks over to a cabinet on the far side of the room, pulling out an elegant glass and filling it with some deep red liquid.

"I assume you are in need of some refreshment. Here." He holds out the glass to me, but when I do not move and do not break my stare, he hastily places it on the table.

"There is no point in all this coldness, all the stares and silences. It will do you no good. You are on my ship now and soon you will be my property- you should jut accept your fate."

He turns away and heads towards an elegant armchair, but pauses mid-way and looks back at me.

"However, perhaps there is still some part of you that holds onto the hope of a saviour, some part of you waiting for a window of opportunity in which you can make your escape. Perhaps you even think that a certain pirate will return to save you."

However hard I try, I see the satisfaction in his eyes when he sees a small glimmer of hope in mine. His mouth twists into a sneer.

"Poor Sierra, desperately hanging on to a tiny thread of hope that her knight in shining armour will return and save her from me, through some heroic rescue plan. I wonder… did she not see Sparrow's ship sailing away?"

Once again, he sees my answer in my eyes.

"Then you will know your hope is in vain. You are alone here and will have to deal with the situation as best as you can- which, I suggest, is by cooperating with me."

Seemingly pleased with how this conversation has gone, Serpiente heads over to the table, which is elegantly laid out for dinner.

"Join me, Sierra… Don't hesitate, now. My cook will be along shortly with out dinner for tonight, which I hope you will enjoy. So come, sit, and have a drink of this excellent wine. Oh…" He continues. "…And do not fear- I had Chalmes check for any poison or sedatives. He hasn't showed any ill effects yet, and so I think it is same to presume there is nothing unnatural in _this_ wine…"

He laughs as his own joke, while I take the other seat at the table- luckily, as far away from Serpiente as possible but unfortunately this means opposite him as well. Clearly, I will have to endure being face-to-face with him for the whole evening.

888888

Much as I would hate to admit it, the food, when it arrives, is fantastic. I eat heartily, having not had any food over the last day, and even before that- during the time I was aboard the _Pearl- _the food was hardly of a good quality.

Crewmembers serve as servants, and are treated as such by Serpiente. A few times, as he waves his hand dismissively at someone, I see them giving him a dark glance. Apparently, the crew are no fonder of their captain then I am. I would perhaps have made some sort of comment on this, to annoy the pirate, but my attentions are fixed on something else.

Increasingly throughout the evening, Serpiente starts to make comments which, to me, seem personal and unwanted- aimed at my looks, figure, and once even what I would be like in bed. These comments make me feel uncomfortable and angry, until, just after the third course, I can take it no more.

"That's IT!" I scream, standing up so forcefully that I knock over my chair behind me. I storm over towards the door, intending to head back to my room and escape from the repulsive pirate. However, before I can get even half way across the floor, Serpiente is in front of me, a menacing look in his eyes.

"Now, what did I tell you about manners when we were back in the caverns, Sierra? Obviously the message has not got through… Perhaps I should repeat it."

He advances towards me, which means that I am forced to back up until I am boxed up against a wall, unable to move any further. Serpiente notices this and smiles cruelly.

"Now look where anger has got you… I told you it was no emotion for a lady such as yourself to have. Although I am sure it is not too late to get it out of you somehow…"

He brings his face right up close to mine, staring deep into my eyes. I try and press further away from him, but it is no use- the wall is pressed right up against my back.

However, I see something change in his face- something appears to soften, although the effect is no less disturbing.

I see his eyes drop, and he starts muttering, apparently to himself.

"Although, a woman with a bit of fire in her blood may be a welcome change, instead of one who conforms to how a lady should be. It needs to be tamed a bit, granted, but it could be quite entertaining…"

Without warning, he grabs hold of my hair and wrenches it back, pulling my head backwards as well and exposing more of my throat.

"What say you to that, Sierra?..."

With his other hand, he runs it up and down my uncovered throat, stroking the smooth skin. I swallow visibly, desperately trying to think of a way out of this situation without aggravating Serpiente more.

I shift my position slightly, but to my dismay this only makes the matter worse as I had feared. The man reads my movement as an escape attempt and presses his body even closer to my own, pinioning me to the wall with his own body weight. He gives another spiteful yank on my hair, making me gasp in pain.

"Now Sierra, don't try anything foolish. We wouldn't want you to harm yourself, would we? After all, I need you in one piece..."

His hand continues caressing my skin- the touch of his hand makes me feel physically ill, and I have to resist the temptation to be sick. As he moves further down towards my cleavage and the front of my dress, he brings his face right up close to mine, so near that I can see my eyes reflected in his own.

He presses his lips against mine, pinning me as much to the wall with this action and any pinioning he has done before. His kiss is rough and aggressive, with animal impulses only just concealed behind it, and soon he forces my mouth open just enough so that he can shove his tongue down my throat. This action is too much to bear- it makes me gag and retch- but he thankfully pulls away before I have to endure it for any length of time. I feel as though I can take the tension no longer, and so I start writhing and bucking as much as the space I have permits.

This time, my situation improves slightly, as Serpiente releases his hold on my hair to instead grab hold of one of my arms- which had escaped from underneath the mass of his body- trying to steady me. With my head free and the danger of having my neck broken gone, I start thinking of something that will distract him.

He shoves his knee between my own legs, attempting to hold me down in a more restraining way. As I feel a hardness against my thigh, and I realise that will have to think of something effective soon, or I could end up in and even worse situation than the one I am in now…

Then I realise that the last move he made was not a wise one for defending himself. As soon as this thought comes to me, I bring my knee of the leg between his up as high as I can, feeling as grim satisfaction as it connects with my target.

Serpiente immediately staggers backwards, doubled over. He relinquishes all hold on me, except that which he had on the front of my dress, which he pulls on in an attempt to steady himself until the material gives way and tears. He then collapses to his knees, and I watch in amusement as his face turns and interesting mauve colour and he attempts to gasp in air.

My humour is short-lived, however- even while he is bent over, he looks up at me with such a look of fury that I am sure he has just lost some part of his mind- his eyes are like those of a feral cat, spittle has appeared around his mouth and some of his hair has escaped from its usual slicked-back style, instead dangling over his eyes in greasy strands.

"You… bitch…" He lurches forwards, one hand aiming for my throat which the other gropes for his pistol.

However, he never reaches his goal.

The ship gives an almighty lurch, tipping so we are almost at ninety degrees to what we were at to start with. We are both thrown to the floor as it disappears from under our feet, and objects slide across the floor with us as we head helplessly towards the opposite wall. Screams from many terrified crewmen echo from all around, and I just hope that we have not gone over far enough for the sea to be able to take hold and turn us completely over.

Luckily, this does not seem to be the case. The force that was holding us as such an angle seems to disappear, throwing us back towards where we originally were. I end up against the wall with a chair lying across half of my body, with Serpiente strewn close by. The ship rocks back and forth, although not to the angle that it did the first time.

Without a backwards glance at me, Serpiente scrambles to his feet as fast as he can, cursing enough to turn the air blue, and strides out of the doors yelling at his crew to tell him what is going on. I extract myself from under the chair and, after checking the damage to my dress and finding that although the bodice is torn all down one side it is not completely indecent, due to my corset underneath, I also head up onto deck, to find out for myself what the hell just happened.

88888

**Chocolat Pirate-** You mean, the DVD I've had for... Ooo... 2 weeks now? Hahahaha... I knew there had to be something good about living in England... We got the DMC DVD waaaay before USA, and everywhere else basically! Apart from Australia... I think they got it before us... But anyway... Couldn't resist that little dig, mate... Apologies.

Hehe.

Oh, and thanks for all the positiveness... Lol. I'm joking, it really is much appreciated.

**Captain Uschi-** Yep, he did have a plan... Jack always seems to have a plan. Lol. And, well, here was the next chapter... For to find out what happened next! (For to... Hmm, great english that was...). Hope you like this one as much as the last!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

In the corridors of the _Serpent, _there is complete and utter mayhem. Crewmembers are running everywhere, through every possible door or passageway, yelling and screaming- some, it appears, in pain due to blood seeping from wounds on their heads, arms or legs.

Some men give me a strange glanceas I hurry past them, or though whether it is because of the way I am dressed and the flushed look I feel I must have on my face, or whether it is due to the fact that I am heading in the opposite direction to the one most other people seem to be going in, I cannot tell. And, at this moment, nor do I care.

The passages below decks are convoluted and confusing- many joining with others and some simply coming to a dead end. How so many different routes could be contained in a comparatively small ship such as this one, I have no idea, but they certainly confuse me more than once- several times I end up walking into a wall where I expect there to be a means of passage but in fact there is not, and a few times I walk into rooms containing the oddest arrays of trinkets and baubles.

One time I make this blunder, however, the result is quite interesting.

The room, which is not the biggest I have ever seen to start with, seems to be made all the more small by the presence of a large black chest, missing a lid, in the middle of it. It could only be Falcon's- although, I do wonder how on earth this ship is still afloat with a huge lump of rock such as that in it…

The man standing in front of it turns around sharply, alerted by the tap of my heeled shoes as I walk into the room. He looks around nervously, a sheen of sweat appearing across his forehead as he sees me.

I smile bitterly, placing my hands on my hips.

"Well well, Chalmes… Fancy finding you here…"

He smiles unconvincingly, attempting to disguise his bulging pockets by twisting to where he thinks they are not in my line of vision. Unfortunately for him, I am already quite aware of what he was up to.

"Your share of the treasure, have you got there?" Walking over towards him, I reach out and tap one of his pockets, which clinks ominously. "Or perhaps, a bit more as well?" Chalmes swallows.

"Now, Sierra…"

I interrupt.

"How do you think Serpiente would feel if he knew you were taking what was rightfully his? From what I've gathered, he's not the nicest of men to get on the wrong side of… Perhaps I should call him down?" I move back towards the door, as if to shout to Serpiente.

"No!" Chalmes looks panicked.

"Give me one good reason, Chalmes. Honestly, it's not as though you are in my best books at the moment, seeing as how you've effectively sold me to some crazy pirate who doesn't seem to like me very much…"

For a moment, Chalmes looks apologetic and sad.

"Believe me, Sierra… I did not intend it to turn out this way. When I first met Serpiente to go over the… ah… arrangements, he seemed very pleasant- considering his line of work…" He trails off.

"You mean, his chosen career path as a pirate? You know, if there's one thing you taught me that I will keep believing is that men who follow that calling are all lying and conniving bastards. I thought I had found one who was different…" An image of gold teeth flashing from a playful smile crosses my mind, but I force it back "…But, I was proved wrong. You should have followed your own words of wisdom, Chalmes. Perhaps then we wouldn't be in this situation."

Right on cue, the ship gives another almighty lurch, although not as big as the first one as I still manage to retain my balance. Chalmes, however, still staggers sideways, looking shocked and afraid.

I remember my original goal- to find the top deck.

"I will be back to deal with you later- that's if we all survive what's going on. In the meantime, you can stay here with the only friend you really seem to about." I glance round at the money and other trinkets piled high. Then, I stride out of the door and start to close it.

However, I am surprised when I find it cannot shut all the way- looking down, I see Chalmes' foot obstructing the way. Looking back up, I find myself staring into the eyes of a doomed man.

Chalmes immediately drops his gaze when he sees me staring. Then, with as much composure as he can muster, he tells me one final statement.

"I always loved your mother, Sierra, more than you could ever imagine. And I loved you as well, even though I knew you were not my daughter. I looked after you as my own. I am sorry for the way things have turned out, truly I am. I can only hope you have better in the future."

Then, he removes his foot from the doorway, leaving me to lock him in. Puzzled as to him last statement, I slowly turn the key in the lock, and then pocket it for safe-keeping so I will be able to unlock it again when the time of danger has passed.

Taking one final glance at the now firmly-closed door, I turn on my heel and resume my search.

888888

If I had thought that there was chaos beforehand, it is nothing compared to the pandemonium now, after that second rocking.

Battling through the men rushing around- there seems to be far too many than what would be needed to crew this ship, and they only serve as a hindrance and an obstacle- I finally find the steps to the main deck. Emerging into the open air, I survey the scene around me.

It is still night-time, or heading towards early morning, and so the scene is only made more confusing by the lack of light. However, I can still make out the complete devastation across the decks, as ropes have been deserted and scattered, barrels have rolled all over the place… The list is never-ending.

Up near the helm, I can hear Serpiente yelling commands as he tries to keep some control, but it is in vain- all the crew seem far more concerned about saving their own skins.

The ship rocks again, as though the water is playing with us. I hear more yells erupt from around me as men stagger into objects, or, in some cases, end up sprawled on the deck. I myself only just manage to remain upright by grabbing hold of the railing around the edge of the ship.

Looking down at the water, I see a strange occurrence, highlighted by the moon's light- even though the water around the ship is choppy, with waves running high, the water further away is as smooth as glass. Also, a strong wind seems to be building up, whipping the sails and blowing my hair across my face, although it does not seem to be affecting the clouds in the sky above, which remain motionless. Somehow, the freak weather only seems to concern the area immediately around us, but how that is possible I have no idea.

Then, something catches my attention from underneath the water. I prepare to back away from the side, remembering old tales of the creatures that lurk in the depths, capable of dragging and entire ship down to the crushing depths.

However, I am held where I stand by the way what I am seeing jogs something in my memory- somewhere, and quite recently, I have seen this before…

The blue glow that first caught my attention seems to intensify as the orb grows in size. Then it comes to me- the blue glow is the same as the one that I had seen on Isla Del Espejos, at the bottom of the underground lake. Fascinated, I forget all thoughts on sea creatures and instead stare at the ball of light as it emerges from the water and comes to hover at my head level.

Vaguely, I hear all movement behind me cease as the crew notice the light and turn to join me in staring at it. Even Serpiente's voice dies out as he follows the direction of everyone's gaze.

The ball starts to expand even more, the speed at which it does so increasing until soon it stretches above our heads- perhaps not as big as the ship, but it seems that way. The surrounding sea is illuminated by the eerie glow it produces.

Then, from in the orb, a darker mass seems to grow and take on shape, until it holds the features of a man's face- they are only vague, but even so they cause me to take a sharp intake of breath as I recognise them from the figure of the man in my locket.

Falcon's face appears to look down, scanning the crowd on deck. His eyes come to rest on me, and he smiles- although not without a hint of sadness, I notice. I too feel a pang of sorrow as I stare into the kind and understanding eyes of my father- a man who I really know nothing about, but share a stronger bond with than any friend or lover.

Then, as I hear footsteps behind me, the path of Falcon's gaze changes, as does the expression on his face. Instead of the friendly smile that was there before, what has taken its place is a complete look of fury. I look behind me to see who may have caused such a change in expression.

I might have guessed it to be Paul Serpiente. He stands a few paces behind me now, looking up towards the ball of light with a mixed expression on his face- partly anger, matching that of Falcon's, and partly fear. I watch the battle raging in his eyes, and interestingly, it seems that the alarm wins out as he begins to back away towards the steps leading to lower deck, as though to be out of sight is to be out of mind. However, he never gets that far.

Falcon watches Serpiente retreating, as though weighing up his options for what he could do next. Then, just before the man reaches what he appears to think would be safety, Falcon seems to make up his mind.

Closing his eyes, he looks to be composing himself.

Then, as they flash open again, the water around the ship begins to grow even choppier, lapping up the sides and rocking us violently. As I am almost flung off my feet, I realise I cannot stand here for much longer and must take shelter- I run towards the relative safety of underneath the flight of steps that leads up towards the helm, where I am away from the wind and the spray of the sea but can also watch the events unfolding in front of me.

However, as the first waves crash onto the deck, sweeping a few crewmembers over with it, I realise that I do not wish to observe what is about to happen. Shutting my eyes, I also block my ears so I cannot hear the screams of the terrified men.

I do not know how long I sit like this for, with my head buried in my hands. However, soon the rocking motion seems to calm, and whatever noise I could hear diminishes. I dare to open my eyes to view what I assume will be tranquillity again.

Oddly, I am mistaken.

The scene before me looks like some badly acted theatre piece, where the actors are wildly over-exaggerating in their roles to try and compensate for their incapability. Men are stumbling all over the deck, in complete disarray, and although I can barely feel the slightest rocking motion they are acting as though we are caught in a huge hurricane. Their mouths are open but no sound comes out, making them look rather like fish out of water as they desperately gasp for air. Curious as to what is going on, I climb out from my hiding spot and walk to the middle of the deck.

Looking out over the sea, I see huge, foam-crested waves racing towards the side of the ship- when they make contact I see crewmembers flying in all directions as they lose their balance from the impact, but I myself cannot feel the effect- I know it should be there, but it simply… is not. The deck still rocks beneath my feet, but it is in no way as bad as the feeling I should be getting- and the feeling that, seemingly, every other crewmember is experiencing.

Over my head, I hear the sails creaking and flapping, but in a muffled way, as though they are several miles away and the sound has been distorted. Looking up, I see them flapping in a most violent manner as though they are about to be torn away- in all the chaos the crew of this ship have forgotten to take them in- but the wind that I should be feeling that is causing such large movement in the sails is not there. Instead the hurricane winds instead feel to me as though they are merely gentle breezes, such as those blowing on a summer's day. It is a most disconcerting feeling.

I turn around slowly as I survey the scene before me, and then my eyes fall onto the glowing orb that is still floating in mid-air, my father's face encased in it.

I can see the outline of his lips moving, as he recites something that cannot be heard by human ears. The look in his eyes is one of complete concentration, although I can see fury there as well as his eyes scan the decks and come to rest on Serpiente, who is currently trying to make himself as small and inconspicuous as possible- hiding behind some wooden crates at one end of the deck.

A small smile appears on Falcon's face as he notices the coward, although it does not really look very pleasant- indeed, I would not like to be the one that smile was aimed at.

Then, as I twist back to look at Falcon once again, I see his mouth form one final, definite, word which looks very much like 'Serpiente'. Then he stops and becomes completely motionless, his gaze fixed on the blond pirate as he waits to watch the events coming next.

Behind the ball of blue light something catches my attention, and I shift my view so I can see what it is.

A rushing mound of water has formed, seemingly some miles off- although this gap is closing rapidly as the rise rushes toward the ship. It continues to grow, becoming wider and taller with each passing second until it is larger than the _Serpent_ itself. The atmosphere around us gets even darker and more foreboding as the tidal wave blocks out whatever light was coming from the moon.

Crewmembers pause in their panic, looking upwards as the wave towers over the ship. For a second, time seems to stand still as we hover on the edge of disaster.

Then, everything starts to move again- twice as fast as before, it appears. The wave starts to duck downwards through its own weight, causing crewmen to yell and try and find anywhere to take cover. I join in this time, feeling complete terror- surely my father is not trying to kill us all…? However, taking one final glance up at the figure in the glowing light I see no compassion, as though he has forgotten all about the fact that his daughter is on this ship through being so driven to have his revenge on Serpiente.

There is no time for me to find a place to hide. All I can do is grab hold of the sturdiest thing around- which in this case is the mainmast- and hope, although I feel it will be in vain.

Squeezing my eyes shut I wait for the final blow to come as the wave hits the ship.

Something seems wrong though. I sit waiting, huddled up to the mast, but nothing comes- I feel no crushing force of water, no devastating power hitting me. I dare to peek through one eye to see what an earth is going on, and cannot believe what I am witnessing.

The water is completely still and tranquil, the skies returned to their normal colour. There is not sign whatever that anything had ever happened, least of all a huge tidal have created by the spirit of a long-dead pirate… Except for one thing.

The decks are completely clear, devoid of any life. There is no sight whatsoever of the crew that had once lived and worked on this ship, never mind the captain that had lorded over them.

Standing up, I look around worriedly as I wonder where everyone has gone. The deck is wet as though the wave had indeed hit, but if that were the case surely both I and the ship itself would be smashed to pieces, and would have disappeared like everyone seems to have done.

I catch a blue light out of the corner of my eye, and spinning around, I catch sight of Falcon once again, still hovering in mid-air although he seems to have shrunk back down to his normal size. He is staring at me, completely motionless apart from a small smile that is creeping onto his face. I slowly smile back.

Then, as I watch, he starts to shrink and fade, blending into the skies behind him. I run towards the edge of the deck, desperate to make him stay a bit longer.

"Wait! Father!" The word seems strange on my tongue.

Falcon seems to pause, halfway through fading away.

"What just… happened?!"

Falcon's smile grows, and he shakes his head. Then, he continues to diminish until there is no sign of him left.

Sighing, I turn around to figure out what and earth to do next. However, I soon spin back round when something clatters onto the deck behind me.

My locket lies on the deck, tarnished and scratched but still managing to glint in the watery sunlight that is just managing to appear.

88888

**Second Star to the Left-** Updated! ;) Ah well, you've only got...15 days?... Left until you get your DVD! I'm sure you can wait!... No?... Ah well then. Lol.

**Captain Uschi- **No Jack this chapter- Sorry! But I promise he's in the next (last!) one... I love him to! And then I kinda have a plan for a sequel... Hang on, I said sequel?! NOOOO! I'VE CAUGHT THE DREADED SEQUELITIS!! Lol.

**ilovejacksparrow121-** You live in England as well then? Coolio! What made it even better was I got my DVD 2 days before the release date because I preordered it from Hehehe.

**Chocolat Pirate-** Yep, always a cliffhanger, I love them! Lol. And sorry this update wasn't so fast, I don't know WHAT I've been doing!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**- FINALLY!!! This chapter's been a bugger... Firstly, I started it, got about 4 pages through and then decided I didn't like it so started again. Then, I've been having writer's block, I think... As it's the last chapter I really wanted it to be good. Anyways, I hope you find it okay! And thanks, you've all been awesome!

**Chapter 15**

Over the next few hours, I wander aimlessly around the ship, trying to decide what to do next.

My first plan is to make absolutely sure that there is no-one left alive who could help me. I search behind every door I come across, finding many small dark rooms storing food and other supplies, but no other living soul. It is strange- the food seems to be dry and unspoiled, despite the fact that the wave seems to have washed through every other part of the ship and wiped out every man aboard. Indeed, I soon start to notice other things that have not been affected- one time I come across a beautiful painting depicting a mother with her child, which hangs on the wall looking as fresh as the day it was painted, while over in another corner there are the few remaining pieces of a chest of drawers which has been completely smashed. There seems, to me, to be no obvious difference between what the wave did hit, and what it missed- the pieces of art left mostly seem to be small and inexpensive, of no particular value to anyone, and yet they have remained perfect while other objects of much more significance have been completely wiped out.

One door I do stay away from, however, is the door that I had locked Chalmes behind. I do not want to risk looking there, for fear of what I might see- I know he would probably not have been able to escape the wave anyway, but part of me feel liked I trapped him and made his death inevitable. Feelings of guilt, born from having him as the only father I knew, fester inside me as I partly blame myself for Chalmes' demise. If I stay away from the room I last saw him in, then perhaps I will be able to push the thoughts back. I am not even eager to see if the treasure survived- it was the root of all the problems and responsible for throwing my life into disarray, and I suspect I would not be unhappy if I saw it had gone.

My wanderings around the ship finally lead me down a corridor in which I had run the opposite direction, not so long ago. At the end, I walk through a now door-less opening and into Serpiente's quarters, shuddering slightly as I try to suppress flashbacks.

The room has completely changed from when I was last in here, looking like something of a battlefield. The glass windows have all been smashed, leaving only shards desperately hanging onto the frames and looking like sets of jagged teeth, while other pieces are scattered around the room. As I slowly step across the floor, avoiding some of the numerous obstacles such as pieces of splinted wood, dented silverware and shreds of materials, it crunches slightly as I stand on pieces of glass.

Sighing, I wonder if anything such as a map may have survived so I can try and determine the ship's position, but it seems that I am out of luck. Anything small that did not get entangled in any larger object has been swept into the sea- and in any case, the parchment would probably have been reduced to a soggy mess within a matter of seconds.

I do find a few things of use amongst the wreckage, however. Draped across what was once a table leg, I find a shirt- made from a hard wearing material, it may be completely soaked but only has a few rips and tears, and is certainly better than the dress I have on at the moment. My luck holds out as I find a pair of trousers half-hidden behind a smashed chest of drawers.

Not being able to stand the dress any longer, I begin to take off the bodice to get changed, not worrying about any privacy in particular as I am under the impression that I am alone.

After having pulled the shirt and trousers on, I set about searching for some sort of footwear to complete my new outfit. Once again I am fortunate, as the wave has left behind a pair of well-worn, but still good quality, boots, which I find hidden in one corner. As I pull them onto my feet, I consider what to do next.

My stomach is the deciding factor- as I stand back up, it growls ominously, reminding me that I have not eaten since the meal I had with Serpiente the night before, in this very cabin. I decide to try and find the galley, and see if there is any food in there or if I will have to use some from the store cupboard that I had discovered previously.

Walking out and into the corridor, I find it strange how it is now completely deserted, remembering back to the previous day when this place was packed with scared crewmembers. As I head towards the top decks, I come across pieces to remind me of this panic- a shoe lies discarded in a corner and another time I find a small pocket knife embedded in the floor. All these everyday objects just serve to remind me that the men that lost their lives were all just normal people who happened to choose the wrong captain. Now they are dead, swept out to sea like one of the pieces of furniture, all for the sake of one man's determination to take revenge on the other.

_Sometimes I do not understand what goes on in the minds of men…_ I think to myself. To kill so many for the sake of one seems so cruel and unnecessary to me, while my father seemed to find it completely acceptable.

Shuddering, I pick up my pace so I can leave this depressing area below decks and use the sun I can see shining down to try and distract me. I almost run up the steps and onto the main deck, bursting into the light so fast I am temporarily blinded.

Looking round the deck with my eyes half squeezed shut, for one moment I think I can see a person standing to one side of me. However, the image wavers and dips in and out of existence, so I start to believe it is nothing more than a figment of my imagination. Shaking my head, I try to make my eyes adjust to the change in the level of light so I can actually see properly.

As my vision clears, I realise that there _is _another person aboard this ship.

Despite being slightly confused as to why I had not seen this person in my scouring of the ship earlier, nevertheless I am overjoyed to find I am not the only person still alive. I hurry over towards them.

"Excuse me!"

The man, silhouetted against the sun behind him, turns around to look at me. I see his long hair swing round, causing an all-too familiar jingle from beads I catch glinting in the light. I stop in my tracks as my thoughts connect and tell me who I am seeing, although I do not believe them.

Jack smiles, making teeth glint in the sun.

"Hello, luv…"

Smiling, I slowly saunter over to him.

"Jack… Fancy seeing you here…"

His smile widens for a split second. However, his facial expression changes quickly when I deliver a stinging blow across his cheek with such force his head is knocked sideways and his hair whips wildly across his face.

He pauses, and if it weren't for that ever-present gleam of mischief in his eyes, I could almost believe the look of regret he is trying to get away with.

"I may have deserved that…" He says, to himself more than anyone.

I give a short disbelieving laugh, replying whether that statement was aimed at me or not.

"May have deserved that, Jack? _May?! _When you deserted me on that island for Chalmes and Serpiente, left me here to face complete hell, and now when the coast is clear, have just come swaggering back in- for your share of the profits, I presume?"

"Well… When you phrase it like that…"

"How did you get here anyway, Jack?" I look around desperately for his means of travel, hoping I can push him back into it as soon as possible. At the moment, I would prefer to be stuck in the middle of the ocean on a ship all by myself than have the possibility of an escape with Sparrow.

Jack looks pointedly of my shoulder. I whirl around and, to my slight embarrassment, see the large black profile of the _Pearl_, riding at anchor not half a mile away.

"Oh…" I say, turning back around to face the pirate.

"Oh…" Jack mimics my speech in a teasing way, still acting as though this whole incident is some sort of game. "Not in one of our more observant moves then, Sierra?"

"Don't joke with me, Jack! I'm really not in the mood at this moment in time, mainly thanks to you reappearing now that it suits you…" I turn away, crossing my arms like some small child in a temper which makes me curse silently to myself for being so petty and stupid.

"Now, don't be like that, luv…" Jack reappears in front of me, gently placing his hands on my upper arms. "Did you honestly think that I'd desert you?

Despite a stirring of hope that starts to build inside me I say nothing, simply staring at him pointedly while shaking loose from his grip- flashes of another occasion where a man had held onto me flicker at the corner of my mind, but I push them away. Jack's eyes slide sideways momentarily as he grits his teeth, making his bottom jaw jut out slightly in a most unusual expression. Then, he raises his gaze and looks at me apologetically.

"Alright… I admit that you may not have been told the entire truth here, Sierra…"

I snort in disbelief. "I suppose I should have guessed?"

"In actual fact, I was hoping you wouldn't." Sparrow replies. "Because then, you might not have cooperated so readily as you did without knowing everything…"

I narrow my eyes, trying to work out the reasons behind Jack's explanation.

"I had told you the tale of Falcon's death." Jack begins. "That was all true… But there is a little more to it as well, which even I had not discovered until recently. You see, it appears that Serpiente did manage to finally best your father at something- after Falcon's hanging Serpiente convinced the authorities to give him his ship in return for his services as a privateer for England. He renamed it as the _Serpent_, and was quite content with his life… until he discovered a scroll on board that had some mention to do with Falcon's fortune. From then one he was obsessed with finding the treasure of his former rival, but had no knowledge of how he might have gone about finding it.

"It was not until several years later that he fell into luck- he met Chalmes at some party or gathering of some sort- the location is not important- and they began talking about the legend of Falcon. Somehow, they managed to piece together the facts that they had separately gathered…Chalmes also had a long-seated interest in Falcon, it seems. He would have been overjoyed if he had known originally you were the daughter of the pirate he had heard so many tales about, but he did not discover this until his meeting with Serpiente, it appears.

"They combined, despite their separate motives for finding the treasure, and hatched an elaborate plan which revolved entirely around the key- you.

"And you found out all this how exactly?..." I ask

Jack holds his hand up to stop me from continuing any further.

"I was just getting there… It looks as though Serpiente did not have the only scroll in existence. I stumbled across another when I was on one of my… transactions… in a back alley of Tortuga. However, mine was more complete than anything Serpiente may have had- revealing facts about the treasure, Falcon's tomb, the nature of the lock on the cave and the chest, and a further part of Falcon's legend, which concerns you."

I listen in more closely, interested to see where this is heading.

"I won't bore you with the details, luv… But basically…" Jack shifts his position slightly, "the scroll showed how to awake Falcon, if ever the need should arise- that is, if one of his own flesh and blood, his family, fell into grave danger… Something along the lines of what you experienced, as was made apparent. When he was summoned then he would… dispose… of whatever was causing the problem, using some great power. Of what, or where this power comes from, I'm not sure… that part was omitted from the text I read it states that anyone of Falcon's flesh and blood- his family- cannot be harmed by him when he does unleash his power."

"Jack…" Biting my lip, I try and believe what he is saying to me- I want to, but considering his previous record, I am not sure if I can. "Are you telling me the truth?..."

"Every word, luv…" He steps closer to me. "After all, have I ever given you reason not to trust me?..."

Even as these words leave his mouth, I see he has realised how stupid the question was. Once again, his eyes drop, and he manages to look despondent for a moment, while I simply cross my arms.

"Perhaps that did not sound so good as I would have hoped…But just give me a chance to finish…

Jack takes the lack of response from me as a hint to carry on

"Shortly after discovering the scroll, there was the strangest coincidence… I overheard a conversation in one of the taverns that Serpiente was looking for a crew, to escort some rich merchant with a mind to go after the treasure of Falcon. There was also some mention of a key… And then…" Sparrow spreads his hands wide. "It occurred to me what this 'key' was exactly, and I realised I had to do something to stop what I knew would happen. Namely, some girl getting caught up in what she has nothing to do with."

"Well, that was heroic of you, Jack… bravo, really." I reply.

Jack looks hurt.

"Sarcasm is never the way to go now, is it luv?…"

"Well, to be honest, I'm still not convinced I believe this version of the events, compared to the much simpler one that you simply came back for the rewards when it suited you. Let me try and get straight what you have told me…"

"Fire away…" Sparrow answers.

"So… you overheard some conversation in some tavern… Somewhere… That Serpiente needed a crew to go after my father's treasure. Using your newly-founded expertise on the subject of Falcon, you realised that I was in danger and so hatched an elaborate plan involving getting into Chalmes' house, drugging me and anyone else there and then taking me back to your ship, where you proceeded to take me to the island on which Falcon's treasure was buried. You knew that once the drugs wore off, Serpiente and Chalmes would follow us to the island, determined to recapture me. Once we arrived at the island, you would lead the way down into the caves, using me to open any barrier we came across as it is only one of Falcon's own blood who can do so. You would also leave said obstacles open, so that Chalmes and Serpiente could follow without hindrance. Then, you would leave me in a convenient place under the pretence you were going to get some crewmembers to help move the treasure, while actually you were leaving me to be picked up by Chalmes and Serpiente in order to buy you time to get to the tomb of my father, raise him and then set him loose on those holding me. Finally, you knew that neither me nor the ship I was on was going to be harmed, due to Falcon' curse, and so you would be able to come back when Falcon had got rid of Serpiente and everyone else, to find me and the treasure. Then you would sail off, considerably richer than you were. Is that it?" I look at Jack quizzically.

He flashes a quick smile it return, then cocks his head and spreads his hands wide.

"Pretty much, luv…"

"There are just a few things that I don't quite understand, Jack… Firstly, how did you manage to raise my father…?"

"Ah, well… that's one of the great things…" Jack takes a pause to step even closer, so I have to look upwards slightly in order to maintain eye contact. He grins, and I see the familiar glint of gold in his mouth. Swallowing slightly, I try not to let my gaze linger on his mouth for too long, forcing my eyes back up again.

Jack's own stare flickers around my face slightly before he continues.

"I'm surprised that something so small could have been so powerful…"

"Jack…" I warn.

He looks surprised, and feigns innocence.

"Hmmm?... Don't get touchy, luv. I was merely taking about this…"

My eyes go crossed in an attempt to focus on what Jack has shoved in front of my face. Then, when I see what it is, I frown slightly.

"My locket…How did you get hold of that?"

Captain Sparrow pulls the locket away as I attempt to reach out for it.

"Well, you left it lying on the deck, so I…"

I cut him short.

"No! I mean, how did you get hold of it in when we were on the island?"

"Ah… well," Jack replies "You have to be more careful… You see, when you get distracted, you tend to let your guard down… Say, when you're hanging over a hole in the ground, and then get saved by a dashing, handsome pirate…?"

"You _stole _it from me, on that bloody island?!" I shriek.

He winces slightly.

"Not stole, as such… More, borrowed… commandeered…" He replies, then, seeing my blank expression, adds "…Nautical term."

"But… But…" I stutter hopelessly.

"You'll have to keep a better eye on your effects than that, luv… It's so easy to sneak things out of people's pockets…" Jack presses the locket into one of my hands.

For a moment I remain speechless. Then, I remember what my other query was.

"What are we going to do now?"

Jack points one finger at me lightly.

"That's a very good question, Sierra. Fortunately, one which I have an answer for."

He looks deep into my eyes, a smile playing around his mouth. After a pause, which I suspects he times to perfection, he says something unexpected.

"The ship is yours."

I jerk back slightly to look at him better and see if he is joking. However, as I see no deceit in his eyes the only thing that I can think to say is a simple, one word phrase.

"Pardon?"

Sparrow gives a low chuckle.

"The ship, Sierra… The one we are standing on right this instance." He points at the deck as if to emphasise his point. "She was your father's, and so I think it is only right she becomes yours."

I laugh, walking away from Jack in disbelief. Then, I turn back round to face him, still smiling with incredulity.

"Jack… I don't know the first thing about how to sail a ship, and you know that. I only learnt the very basics of how to get along on a ship, and that was with a full crew supporting me, showing me what to do, and correcting me whenever I did something wrong… which, if I remember, wasn't exactly uncommon…"

Jack laughs again.

"Never fear, luv… You won't be on your own. Very far from it…"

He looks up and whistles, and, hearing the flap of wings I gaze at the sky as well, in time to see a flash of blue and yellow disappearing towards the _Black Pearl_.

"Cotton's parrot?" I inquire.

"Aye. He's gone to summon the crew to bring the _Pearl_ over here, upon which half will disembark onto your ship, and half will stay with me… Will that be enough help for you?"

Smiling, I wordlessly walk over to the rail to watch the _Pearl_ sail to join us.

888888

In a remarkably short while, the crew has been sorted, with a large proportion leaving the _Pearl_ and joining me. I am delighted to see the familiar face of Alex amongst those Jack has picked to be my closest men. He flashes me a quick grin of recognition, then sets about checking that there are enough supplies to last us at least until the next port.

I stand looking out over the water, biting my lip as I attempt to decide what to do next. Part of me is excited- I have complete freedom to do whatever I like, go wherever I wish… But part of me is fearful that it will all end badly.

I hardly hear the footsteps behind me until Jack appears right next to me.

"So… what are you going to name her?" He says, leaning casually on the helm.

"Who?" Some part of what he has said doesn't quite register in my mind.

Sparrow rolls his eyes.

"The ship, Sierra… If I were you, I'm not sure I would want to keep a name such as the _Serpent_… reminds me too much of that slimy creep of a pirate who had hold of her beforehand."

"Oh…" I had not even considered that the name of the ship might be a problem, but now Jack has mentioned it I realise that I want nothing less than to keep the current name. I think deeply about it for a moment, then a smile slowly appears on my face. Quietly, I speak two words.

"_Falcon's Flight"_

Looking at Jack, I see him return my smile.

"Perfect."

He gently reaches out, and cups my chin in his hand.

"I can't think of anything that could be better, luv…"

His eyes slide over my head slightly, and I know he is looking towards his own beloved ship. A slightly distressed expression crosses his face, and he looks down into my eyes.

"Sierra… I'm afraid it's time for me to go… You don't need me here any longer."

I smile sadly, looking down, but Jack gently pushes my head back up.

"We'll meet again, I'm sure of it… Although I hope it's in better circumstances than this time."

He lets go of my chin, then turns around and starts to walk away.

However, he does not get far.

"Jack!" I call after him, making him pause and spin back round.

I see surprise on his face as a hurry towards him, his eyes widening. Looking down at me, his mouth starts to open as he thinks of something to say, then he pauses as he must see the moment of indecisiveness that crosses my face.

I pause, looking into his eyes. Then, I stretch up and press my lips on his in a parting kiss.

At first he leans back slightly in surprise, but then responds to my touch on his lips, pulling me closer to him. His scent, a tantalising mixture of rum, sea salt and sweat, envelops me as I breathe in deeply.

I do not know how long we stay like this for- time itself seems to stand still- but finally I pull back, my eyes searching his face.

He appears to consider me for a second, looking down at my face. Then, to my relief he cracks a beaming smile.

"Now… That _was _the right time, Sierra."

Leaning forwards, he gently gives me one quick and light kiss, before winking roguishly at me. Then, he turns back round and heads back to the _Black Pearl_, without a backwards glance towards me.

I watch as he gives orders to his crew to cast off. The gangplank between our ships is removed, and the sails are set. Soon, the _Pearl_ is moving away, towards the horizon.

Jack chooses this moment to look back at me. From the helm of his ship, I see his head turn, various trinkets glinting in the sun. From this distance his eyes look black, heavily ringed by the trademark kohl, although I can imagine the roguish twinkle that is ever-present in his gaze.

He removes one hand from the helm, and lifts it up to his head, sweeping his hat off. Then, continuing in one smooth move, he drops into a gracious, sweeping bow, almost touching his hat on the floor. Then, he stands back up straight and places his hat back on his head, giving one last smile before he turns back to face the tiller, and the open sea.

I laugh quietly to myself, shaking my head slowly. I then turn back to my own ship, and my own crew.

Anticipating my commands, the crew set the sails and weigh anchor. All that is left for me to do is set the course, in a different direction to the one Sparrow sailed in.

Turning the helm, I gently hum a song that Jack taught me to myself.

"_And really bad eggs..._"

I am surprised to hear another voice joining in. Turning around, I see Alex standing next to me, laughing gently. Together, we finish off the song as _Falcon's Flight,_ formerly my father's ship and now my own, sails off towards the sun.

888888

**Second Star to the Left**- Well, it's Christmas today!!!! Yipee!! Jeez, was it over 2 weeks ago I updated?! Sorrry!

**iluvDraco93**- Here ya go!

**Chocolat Pirate**- Okay, this update perhaps wasn't as soon as you would have hoped... But it's extra long, to make up for it!!! 10 pages on Word! (Oooo!)

**ilovejacksparrow121**- Was this chapter any good?

**RumQueen**- Well, if there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my descriptive skills. They always got me the best marks in English... You may not think that counts for much, but meh... Hehe

**PhantomFreak1215**- Yeah, I realise Jack was a bit OOC in parts. He's so goddamn hard to do!! Probably because he isn't my own character so I can't play around with him as much (evil grin). He wasn't too bad though, was he?


End file.
